November Rain
by luvcali
Summary: After a torrid encounter on Halloween night, 1984, ex-lovers Jackie and Hyde spend the next month reevaluating their past. Post-Season 8. J/H.
1. Chapter 1

**NOVEMBER RAIN**

Post-Season 8. After a torrid encounter on Halloween night, 1984, ex-lovers Jackie and Hyde spend the next month reevaluating their past.

 **A/N:** I originally posted this Jackie/Hyde story in 2006. Then in 2016, I removed it, not realizing people would notice. Since then, I've gotten lots of private requests. I've also been informed that a few people have been passing it around without my permission, which I do not appreciate. So, I've decided to repost November Rain myself, for those who were kind enough to ask me directly. I will not be reposting any of my other stories, though, my apologies. I'll post by chapter to make it easier to read. Also, the formatting may be off. This copy was downloaded from this site when I deleted. I fixed/edited what I could, but it may not be _exactly_ how you remember it. Please excuse any changes. Anyway, enjoy. :)

 **Rated M for sex, violence, infi** **de** **lity, and adult language**.

Disclaimers: I do not own the characters from T7S, obviously, nor do I condone any personal behavior of anyone involved with the show. This was written simply out of love for the characters.

* * *

 **Chapter One: David Bowie and Three Double Shots of Tequila**

* * *

When I look into your eyes  
I can see a love restrained  
But darlin' when I hold you  
Don't you know I feel the same

\- Guns 'n Roses

* * *

 **October 31, 1984**

It was one of those nights, one of those 'giddy with anticipation', 'even the air smells different,' crisp, Autumn nights. But inside the Forman/Pinciotti apartment, Donna and Jackie were already bickering and mercilessly body checking each other in a fight over mirror space. Not surprisingly, the two old friends managed to turn their minor tussle into a battle of schoolyard proportions.

"Bitch!"

"Move your skinny ass out of my way then," Donna yelled, returning Jackie's pathetic nudge with a destabilizing shove.

"Hey! Fine," Jackie conceded as she steadied herself, not wanting to jinx the night before it even started. "We'll compromise. Now... How do I look?" She stood before the mirror with her hands on her hips in dramatic pose.

"The same. Why aren't you in your costume, yet?" Donna asked as she leaned forward to adjust her breasts, making them peek seductively above the apex of her silver sequence dress. "What did you finally decide on anyway?"

Gasping, Jackie clapped and bounced like a schoolgirl, excited to have someone _finally_ ask about what, she was sure, would be the best couples costume at the whole party.

"Colin has it! He finally found the _perfect_ 'Rhett and Scarlett' costumes while he was in Green Bay! He's going to meet me in the basement with them. So, I'm just going to have to change there, in Hyde's old room or something."

Her hair already curled to perfection, make-up expertly applied, perfume strategically sprayed, Jackie had nothing left to do but sit back and watch her redheaded friend finish prepping for the Queen Ann Haunted Ship Costume Party. None of the gang had ever been, probably because the tickets cost thirty-five dollars each, and no one could afford to spend the money. But thankfully, for everyone, Jackie's boyfriend, Colin, could. He had surprised them all, purchasing ten tickets for Halloween night. There were five sets of tickets, one for each couple, since it was a 'Couples Only' party, according to the flier.

Attending with her and Colin were Donna with Eric, Kelso with Brooke, Hyde with his girlfriend, Jessica, and then Fez with his new girlfriend, Amy. A costume was required to enter, prompting Hyde at one at one point to swear that he wasn't going, but his girlfriend had insisted and so, of course, he caved.

Jackie had smiled at the exchange, she liked to think that it was her who had made him a better man for this girl who obviously cared about him. Maybe, Jackie thought to herself, it was her own relationship with him, along with time, that taught him how to correctly treat the object of his desire, and _maybe_ she taught him that cheating and screwing around with strippers wasn't the most effective way to sort through his feelings.

Hopefully.

Jackie giggled as she watched Donna prop up her breasts for the second time and strangely thought of Sam of all people. But, she wasn't bitter, angry or heartbroken, not anymore. Jackie was positive that she had long since found her peace with the situation. Just as everyone had predicted, including Hyde, time had worked its magic and her love for him had eventually subsided, settling quietly into memory.

Having met Colin, who loved her like crazy, hadn't hurt either.

Smiling, Jackie poked her oldest friend in the back. "Come on, Donna. Stop playing with your boobs! We've gotta go!"

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

6:22 PM

Walking up the driveway to the Forman house with Gilligan and Ginger (Otherwise known as Eric and Donna), Jackie was reminded that it was fall, her favorite season. The air felt crisp as it entered her lungs, the wind smelled like turning leaves and chimney smoke, and her brown leather boots and cream cardigan sweater matched perfectly with the colors that painted the dark landscape around her. After all, she _was_ a "fall" according to last month's Cosmo—the bible—and her brunette locks and olive skin always complimented the season's colors perfectly. So, it was only natural that this would be her time of year.

With an extra bounce in her step, Jackie entered the Forman kitchen, already laced with everything having to do with Autumn—baked goods, Halloween decorations and warm smiles. Well, one warm smile anyway.

"Hi, Mrs. Forman," Jackie called out in her usual perky tone, offering the older woman a hug.

"Well, hello Jackie! I haven't seen you since ...gosh, Eric's birthday party. That was two months ago."

"I know, I'm sorry. Things have been so busy at the station." Jackie turned to the other, slightly less enthusiastic, occupant of the room and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hi, Mr. Forman."

"Darn, I knew it was getting too quiet around here," he said with a scowl that quickly turned into a smile. He couldn't help it; she had always been one of his favorites. Although, it wasn't like she had much competition. Next to the moron pretty boy, the creepy foreign kid, and Eric, Jackie was a breath of fresh, Christian-Dior-scented air. Plus, the girl could find a carburetor better than his own mechanic, and that made her practically family.

Quickly stealing a pumpkin-shaped cookie from the tray next to the stove, Jackie joined Eric and Donna down the steps into the basement. As they descended the staircase, the only two occupants of the room came into view, locked in a deep kiss against the back door. All three raised their eyebrows at the sight of Hyde's girlfriend pinned helplessly between him and the door, not that the quiet girl was complaining.

"Get a room," Eric chided, taking a seat on the couch.

Hyde broke first from the kiss, allowing the strawberry blond to finally gather enough air to speak. "I really need to go, baby," she said, out of breath and eagerly accepting another lingering kiss from Hyde.

He pulled away again. "Yeah, okay. Call me later," he said, giving her quick peck before moving toward a nearby chair. "I'll probably be at my place by then."

"Okay." An air kiss, and she was out the door. "Bye you guys! Have fun!"

Eric held his arms out in confusion. "Hey, where the hell's she going? We've gotta leave in like fifteen minutes."

"She can't freakin' go," Hyde complained gruffly, sitting down. "She has to work. So, I guess that means I can't go either." When he noticed Jackie, he gave her brief nod. "Hey, does it _have_ to be couples? I mean, I can still get in by myself, right?" It took her a moment to respond. They rarely spoke, so when they did, it always took her a second to adjust. It was as if a monkey had approached her at the zoo and asked for the time—it was just a little weird. _Still._

"Oh, um. I don't know, let me check," Jackie replied, searching through her purse.

While he waited for an answer from Jackie, Hyde watched Donna walk by and let his eyes follow her shapely curves as they moved beneath the glittered material of her dress. "Nice dress," he grinned.

"Thank you. Now takes your eyes off my chest before I poke them out with this heel," she quipped, flipping her foot back into the air to show him her intended weapon of choice.

Hyde quickly—and wisely—shifted his focus back over to Jackie as she pulled the tickets out of her purse, studying them. "Couples only," she read. "Must arrive in matching costumes." She shrugged.

Hyde scoffed his displeasure and folded his arms. "Whatever. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Jackie put the tickets back in her purse and took a seat on the lawn chair across from him. "Sorry, Hyde. I think it's because of the costume contest."

 _Hyde_. That word, coming from _her_ lips, still made Hyde a little uneasy. She had been calling him that for over three years now, and he _still_ hadn't gotten used it. It didn't flow naturally out of her mouth. It seemed too forced. But he knew it had helped her get over him, so he dealt with it and let her be.

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed through the room, startling everyone and breaking Hyde's concentration.

"Oh, yeah! That's right! Everyone, bow before the president and the first lady," Kelso shouted, bursting through the basement door with Brooke in tow. Everyone simply stared at him. "Don't you guys get it? I'm Ronald Reagan, and she's, she's," he took a thoughtful pause, a very long, thoughtful pause, _"Mrs._ Reagan."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Nancy. For the hundredth time."

Kelso's eyes widened in anger. "You said you were going to stop calling me that," he said before plopping himself down on the couch between Eric and Donna and folding his arms.

"No, you moron. That's her name: Nancy Reagan."

"Oh," Kelso said, smiling before allowing his eyes to drift over toward Donna's cleavage. "Nice dress. Them jugs sure are a-poppin' tonight, jugs-a-poppin'!"

Hyde chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Literally."

Pinching Kelso's nipple between her fingers, Donna twisted mercilessly. "What a coincidence, so are yours, Mr. President," she said, using her best Ginger impression.

Kelso yelped. "Ah! OK! OK!"

Donna stopped. But only a few minutes later, Kelso just couldn't help himself. "Could you do that again, Jugs, that was _really_ hot."

"No." She smacked his head, tipping his Ronald Reagan mask terribly askew. "Pig."

"God, _Donna!_ "

Everyone laughed as the phone rang, prompting Hyde to pick it up and chuckle out a happy "Hello?"

Jackie watched his eyes move toward the floor and then to her.

"It's your boyfriend," he simply said, holding out the phone.

Jackie quickly grabbed the phone from him. "Hey, baby, where are you?" The whole group watched her face fall while her shoulders drooped in disappointment. "But... Why can't he just... I know, but... What about all that money that you spent?... Mm-hm... But, baby, I was all excited... I can't... You have the costumes, and anyway, it's Couples Only." Jackie sighed. "Fine... When are you coming back?... Okay... I know... I love you, too... No... Bye."

"Well, this is just great!" Jackie threw her complaint out there for someone to catch, Donna or Brooke most likely, but it was Hyde who took the bait.

"Let me guess, Prince Charming's not coming," he said in his usual mocking tone, making Jackie wonder why he got such a kick out of making Colin look bad. Colin had been nothing but nice to her ex-boyfriend, but Hyde disliked him anyway, refusing to accept an outsider, or maybe it was just _that_ particular outsider who bothered him.

" _No_ ," Jackie said, biting back, defending her man. "He has to work. He has a very important job." She reached into her purse and pulled out all ten tickets. "Here, Donna, you guys have fun. Okay? I can't go."

Brooke frowned. "Jackie, we're not going without you."

The room went silent for a moment, making Fez's entrance that much louder. He stopped cold, instinctively aware that something was wrong. "What is going on? Did your mom run out of candy?" he accused, staring scornfully at Eric.

"No, man. It's all upstairs."

Fez exhaled and stepped all the way inside. "Okay, then."

Eric made a face. "Hey. Where's Amy? And where's your costume, man?"

"Oh, that is why I am here. I cannot go. Amy's sick."

Donna threw her hands up. "Well, this sucks! _No one_ is going, I'm dressed like a marooned Hollywood tramp for no reason."

"I could find a reason," Eric said, jutting his eyebrows at her, but she only rolled her eyes.

"Wait." Fez looked confused. "Who else isn't going?"

"Jackie, Colin, Hyde, Jessica, and now you and Amy. That just leaves us, and Kelso and Brooke."

Fez, still looking rather confused, turned his attention to Hyde. "Why aren't you going?"

"Jessica has to work, and it's freakin' couples only."

Fez then turned to Jackie. "And you?"

"Because Colin has to work, and it's couples only. So, if he doesn't go, I can't go, unless... _you_ want to be my date?" Jackie asked with a small encouraging smile toward Fez.

"I can't," he said, crisscrossing his arms, pointing between her and her ex. "I'm going to take care of my sick little tulip. Why don't you and Hyde just go together?"

Everyone looked from person to person until finally Jackie and Hyde made eye contact and shrugged in unison, as if on cue. "Huh." Hyde spoke first. "Well, I don't see why not. I mean, it's just to get inside, right? Jess won't care about that. I don't think."

Jackie stuck out her bottom lip, intrigued. "Yeah." Then a thought occurred to her. "Wait, but we don't have costumes."

"Well, what were you and _Colin_ going to be?" Hyde asked her.

"It doesn't even matter; he has the costumes." A moment later Jackie asked the next logical question. "What were _you_ and _Jessica_ going to be?"

"It doesn't matter; she has our costumes, and anyway, you wouldn't fit in hers. You're too short." Jackie sneered at him, and he instantly responded. "What? You're like four inches shorter than she is. Plus, she's be pissed anyway if she knew you wore her costume."

Jackie sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway. We can't go," she grumbled, pouting and folding her arms across her chest. "This _totally_ sucks."

Hyde nodded.

Honestly concerned with the happiness of his friends, Fez made another suggestion. "Okay. How about you both wear mine and Amy's costumes then?"

Hyde peeled his eyes from Jackie's pouting face to look at Fez. "What were you two going to be?"

"Candy," Fez answered, rolling his eyes, as if the answer to Hyde's question should have been obvious. "Duh."

Hyde and Jackie shared a curious smile. "Candy?"

The foreigner nodded. "Of course... Okay, I will be right back. The costumes are in my car," he said, excited as he took off up the basement steps.

A minute later, he returned with the "costumes."

Hyde looked confused, a feeling shared by the rest of the group. "They're just t-shirts, man."

Tossing the blue t-shirt to Hyde and the red one to Jackie, Fez nodded and confirmed that _yes,_ they were indeed just t-shirts, which Hyde decided he could totally deal with. Jackie, on the other hand, was skeptical. She unfolded hers to have a read, but Hyde beat her to the punch.

" _Almond Joy_ ," he read aloud off the front of his t-shirt before giving Jackie a curious look, prompting her to read hers.

" _Mounds_ , _"_ she read with a frown. "I don't get it."

Fez smiled. "Turn them over."

They did, and Hyde read the back of his. " _I've got nuts_."

Jackie rolled her eyes. " _I don't_ ," she read, presenting the back of the t-shirt for Hyde to see. The room burst out into laughter, minus Jackie. "I am _not_ wearing this."

Hyde snickered. "Aw, come on, Jackie. Who cares. So, you won't win the contest. At least we'll get to go, man."

"I was supposed to be Scarlett freakin' O'Hara, damn it. Beautiful and classy, not... _nutless._ "

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want my nuts?" Hyde asked, almost sincerely, as he offered her the blue t-shirt with a wicked smirk.

Disgusted by his lack of concern for her ruined evening, Jackie threw him a dirty look. And Hyde _might_ have cared if she didn't look so hot when she was pissed. So, instead, he simply gave her a stern scowl in return and resorted to a tactic that had worked on her _years_ before.

His voice was calm as he stood up. "Look, Jackie. I'm not going to miss this party just because you're too uptight to have a sense of humor about the situation," he said, shifting his weight for dramatic effect, "So you're going to go in my old room. You're going to take that sweater off and you're going to put on that t-shirt," Jackie started to speak, but Hyde raised his voice in anticipation. "And you're _not_ going to say another word about it."

Jackie stood up. "You _cannot_ tell me what to do, Steven Hyde. I may have liked it when we were dating, but we are _not_ dating anymore."

The other four occupants of the room watched as Hyde stepped closer to his ex-girlfriend. "Well, tonight, we are. So, get your spoiled ass in that room and change so we can get out of here."

The heads of Eric, Donna, Kelso, Fez and Brooke shifted back to Jackie and they all waited with wide, nervous eyes. Except, Jackie seemed to have nothing to say as she stood before Hyde, who only stared back at her, cool as a cucumber.

"Fine," she muttered coolly, "but I'm going to be cold so what should I wear for bottoms?"

Everyone released the breaths they had been holding, and shifted their attention to Hyde, who was grinning smugly.

"Just keep that skirt on," he answered, as he quickly glanced at the short jean skirt she wore, right before his eyes betrayed him and drifted down to the firm, bare thighs that disappeared underneath it. "It's... nice. And those boots," he said, swallowing hard as he observed the way the tops of her calves were cuffed off by the sexiest pair of high-heeled boots he had ever seen on a chick, "they're _nice_ _,_ too."

Jackie smirked as Hyde briefly ogled her legs. Yeah, she still had it.

After sharing a strange look, Donna and Eric both wondered how these two managed to still get underneath each other's skin more than five years after their demise. They rarely saw each other, maybe once every two months or so, and every meeting, while usually brief, always resulted in some sort of confrontation. Luckily enough for everyone, though, they were both long over each other and very, very taken, so their tiffs never lasted long—minutes, if not seconds.

"I'll just throw on my wrap sweater with it then," Jackie said quietly as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned on her heel, strutting toward the small back bedroom to change into her Mounds "costume." Hyde watched her leave and grinned at the rest of the group.

"Yeah, I still got it."

Lost in his own world, and sporting a gaping smile, Kelso muttered to Eric, "Mounds. That means boobs."

* * *

One Hour Later

20 Miles North of the Montrose Harbor Marina

For most of the drive to Chicago, Hyde and Jackie sat quietly next to each other in the far back seat of Kelso's van. There didn't seem to be much to say, not anymore, not these days anyway. There was a time when there had been a million things to tell each other. Hyde would never admit it to anyone, but back when they had begun dating, back when they were kids, he told her everything _. Everything_. But that was a million years ago. They barely knew anything about each other now, minus the useless facts brought up in idle chit chat by the rest of the gang. The two of them were practically strangers, forever burdened by the memory of their happy youth—shared together—that had gone up in flames.

Hyde risked glance after glance in Jackie's direction, keeping his head forward and hurting his eyes in the process. He may have been taken, may have been over her, but he wasn't blind. The fact that she only seemed to get more beautiful as she grew older hadn't gone unnoticed by him, or by any other testosterone driven member of the old gang. She was a woman now, and one by one, starting with him, they had all noticed.

Like a moth to the flame, his wandering eyes kept finding her legs. That short skirt had moved even further up and her legs were crossed away from him, leaving him with a perfect view of her still sun-kissed, smooth upper thigh. Allowing himself to become lost in fantasy, Hyde imagined what it might feel like to slide his hand up that thigh and underneath that skirt. But then the brunette moved, un-crossing and re-crossing her legs, snapping him from his lustful daydream.

Hyde quickly looked away. If he didn't stop being an idiot, he was going to get caught, and that meant death by mockery. She had caught him checking her out about a year before and teased him for a goddamned month about it.

Jackie leaned forward in her seat. "Hey, Brooke. Stop here, I like this song."

"Oh me, too," Brooke concurred. "I just love her!"

Hyde grimaced at Jackie. "Who the hell is it?"

 _All through the night  
I'll be awake and I'll be with you..._

"Cyndi Lauper. Yeah, she has orange hair. She's bitchen," Jackie told him with a cheerful smile.

" _Bitchen?_ " Hyde smiled at her, almost adoringly, to Jackie's surprise. "So, no more disco for you then?"

"Nope. I'm a hip chick, Hyde. I move with the times."

"You mean you're a trendy little follower," he said without thinking, making her smile disappear.

"No. I just like the song. Am I allowed to do that?" In her eyes shone that familiar disgust sprinkled with hurt that Hyde had elicited in her so many times before. And completely exhausted of all desire to fight with her, he chose to reel in the usual attitude he put forward when it came to her.

This was _supposed_ to be a fun night.

"Look, Jackie. I didn't mean it like that, okay? Can we just... can we get along tonight? Please?"

"I don't know, Hyde. Can we?"

"Yes," he replied, offering her a white flag waving smile, "we can. I'll be nice, I swear." He put up his right hand, "Burnout's honor," and then offered it to her in peace. Wary at first, Jackie took Hyde's hand and gave it a hefty shake, marking their first physical contact in over two years.

Not that either one was counting.

Jackie raised one wary eyebrow as they shook. "I'm going to hold you to that."

Hyde grinned.

It was no fairytale moment. There was no spark, no fireworks metaphorically exploding in mid-air, no lingering tingle—just a simple, friendly handshake.

But it _was_ the birth of something more.

Hyde grinned wickedly while scooting in closer to Jackie. "Hey," he whispered to her, "you want to know what Kelso's wearing underneath that suit?"

Jackie smiled and nodded as Hyde leaned in and began to tell her the truth behind Kelso's dirty little secret.

 _We have no past, we won't reach back  
Keep with me forward all through the night  
And once we start, the meter clicks  
And it goes running all through the night_

 _Until it ends, there is no end..._

* * *

 **Montrose Harbor Marina**

 **Chicago, Illinois**

Kelso parked his minivan a few blocks from the large ship, and as they all made their way toward the party inside, Donna took notice of the cozy chatter coming from the trailing ex-couple.

"Come on you guys," Donna insisted, waving them up, but instead Jackie and Hyde only talked quieter and walked a little slower and closer together. She nudged Eric. "What the hell is going on with them? They've been whispering and giggling at each other for the last thirty minutes. I don't know, I feel a group burn coming on."

"Who cares. Just be happy they're not fighting," Eric pointed out, placing an arm over her shoulder, "because I SO do not feel like dealing with that tonight. Things I do feel like dealing with, you ask? Huh, well... your boobies in that dress, that slit in your dress, that slit between your boobies in that dress..."

"Eric, you're such a perv," she teased, giving him a light slap that only seemed to encourage him further as he pulled her closer. "I don't know; they were just getting a little too chummy in the back seat together. I don't think Jessica OR Colin would be too thrilled about it."

Eric shook his head. "You're cute when you're being nosy... Ginger," he said with a waggle of his brows, causing her to laugh out loud and forget all about the trouble brewing right behind her.

"Huh," she said, looking up into the night sky. "Looks like it's going to rain."

* * *

The RMS Queen Ann

Thirty Minutes Later

Atrium Level Bar – A.K.A. "The Haunted Waiting Room"

 _The impressive bar was the last stop before entering the main event; it was dark and decorated like a crypt, except for the flashing disco ball and orange lights. The deep, rhythmic voice of David Bowie filled the large room while the group from Point Place, along with a hundred other anxious party-goers, waited._

 _Let's dance  
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues..._

At the bar, Kelso and Brooke shared another mind-numbing shot of Jose Cuervo with Jackie and Hyde.

"Don't be a wuss, Hyde," Kelso said, grabbing four more shots from the bartender.

The two men stood together and slammed their shots down on the bar before watching the two girls begin to nurse _their_ tall shots.

"Slam it, Jackie," Hyde shouted over the music, encouraging her while he spun her bar stool toward him. "Just open your throat and let it slide down," he whispered in her ear, with a wicked smirk to match. "I know you can do that." He stood straight up to look at her. "Come on. Just toss it back quick."

"You're terrible, Hyde." She peeked up at him through her lashes and took a deep breath, opening her throat as he'd suggested and quickly tossing her head back.

At that very same moment, Eric and Donna walked up behind the foursome.

"Good girl," Hyde muttered as he stared at Jackie's wet lips. "You want another one?"

The burning liquid was giving Jackie the chills as it went down and, as they uncomfortably coursed through her body, she held onto Hyde's waist for comfort, prompting him to grab a hold of her hips and whisper in her ear while moving his body deeper between her thighs. "You okay?"

Donna frowned at what she was seeing and practically yelled in Jackie's other ear.

"We need to talk. Now."

Still distracted by his rather dirty comment, Jackie stared curiously at Hyde. She was already feeling buzzed from the tequila when Donna yanked on her arm. " _Now_ , Jackie."

"OK," she said. "I'm coming. God." Gently pushing Hyde back from between her legs and spinning herself around on the bar stool, Jackie hopped down. "Oh, wait," she exclaimed, before quickly turning back toward her ex. With her lips an angel's breath from his ear, she whispered, "I'll be right back," causing his eyes to fall shut.

"OK," he said softly as he watched her move away from him.

Donna dragged the brunette away from the bar and toward the main staircase, stopping her abruptly at the bottom step. "What the hell are you doing?" The raised pitch of the redhead's voice caused Jackie's buzz to dim slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"You're flirting with him."

"Who, Hyde?" Jackie laughed. "No. I'm not."

"Yes, you are, Jackie. Hello. Do I need to remind you that you have a _boyfriend?_ And Hyde has a _girlfriend_."

Jackie rolled her eyes at her patronizing friend. "I know that, _Donna._ That's why I'm _not_ flirting. We've just decided to get along for the night. That's all."

"I'm sorry, but," Donna pointed in Hyde's direction, " _that_ was a lot more than _getting along_ , Jackie. You two were getting all grabby at the bar, feeling each other up like two horny sixteen-year-olds at a drive-in."

"Are _not_ _,_ " Jackie said, putting her hands on her hips as a show of defiance before pointing in Donna's face. "First of all, I do not get drunk. _I_ get tipsy. And I only had three shots. What's the big deal?"

"Three _double_ shots. That means six shots. And Hyde had twice that many in a matter of minutes. You're drunk, and I'm just making you aware that you're getting way too cozy with someone else's man."

"Fine," Jackie said, still not getting what the big deal was, but wanting Donna to just shut the hell up and stop being such a nag.

 _Meanwhile..._

Eric sat at the bar and studied Hyde as he nursed his beer, quickly determining that he was, in fact, shitfaced. "Man, what are you doin'?"

Hyde smiled. "Trying to count my teeth. I swear I'm up to like a hundred."

Rolling his eyes briefly, Eric corrected his clueless, drunk friend. "No. I mean with Jackie. What are you doing?"

"We're just hangin' out, man."

"You are aware that she has a boyfriend, right? You know, Colin, the guy that bought the ticket for you to be here."

"Yeah," Hyde said dismissively before finally turning sincerely to his friend. "Look, man. I'm not doing anything with her, okay? I wouldn't do that to Jess."

"Okay," Eric shrugged, dropping the subject the moment Jackie returned to the bar and took a seat on the other side of Kelso and Brooke.

Without warning, the music was shut off, leaving only the loud grumble of the crowd in mid-chatter.

"OKAY FOLKS," a lanky man dressed like Herman Munster yelled as he took center stage directly in front of two sets of double doors. He waved the crowd forward. "CAN EVERYONE PLEASE STEP FORWARD. CLOSER PLEASE, SO I DON'T HAVE TO YELL... Thank you."

The group of six from Point Place listened intently as the tall, green man explained the situation. "Welcome to the Queen Ann Annual Terror Fest! My name is Herman..."

"HELLO HERMAN," the crowd hummed together.

"Yeah, hey. First of all, I'd like to apologize for the wait. Our last group took longer than expected, but please don't worry, you won't miss too much of the party. Behind me are two double doors..." He motioned to the doors behind him with the double-finger sweep of an airline safety procedure. "Behind these doors is a seven-maze system through the most haunted ship in the world. Thirteen ghosts haunt this ship, and although I do not have time to go into the history of each ghost, I _will_ give you the background of a couple of the more frequently seen ones. Deep inside the hull of the ship, in the hallways of the third-class cabins, roams the tormented spirit of a young woman who was abducted by two men just before the boat docked in New York Harbor in 1938. She was held against her will in one of the third-class cabins for approximately three days while maintenance was being performed in the ship's engine room. Over the course of those three days, she was raped, tortured, and stabbed nearly to death before eventually being found dead in the hallway, where she had died during an apparent attempt to crawl for help. Her spirit roams the halls to this day where she terrorizes any male who dare enter the narrow corridor." Herman took in a deep breath and continued, "Another frequently spotted ghost is..."

Hyde looked over and snickered to himself as he took note of the terrified faces of his friends, best of all, Kelso, who clung on to his fiancé like a scared kitten.

"... so, don't get too close to the pool, unless you want to be dragged in. Alright folks, from this point on, you are on your own. You will be relying solely on the buddy system, so please find your partners. The bracelets you were both given at the entrance are a matching set and, as you can already see, glow in the dark. You and your partner have either yellow, pink, green, orange, purple, blue or red so make sure they match. It will make it slightly easier to find them in the event that you become separated. It is extremely dark in there and it is _not_ difficult to get lost. So, if you _do_ find yourselves lost in one of the mazes, please locate one of the..."

"Excuse me," Jackie said softly, as she cut through the crowd to find her buddy: Hyde. Making eye contact with him, she smiled as he stretched his arm through the crowd to grab and reel her in. And as she let him pull her through, Jackie noticed the bright neon blue bracelet that clung to his wrist. It matched hers, and she furrowed her brow at the realization, finding it strange that she hadn't noticed that little detail before.

Hooking his arm around her waist, Hyde pulled her in next to him, officially claiming her as his "buddy." A quick glance from him and a "Hey" solidified the union.

"Hey," she said back, nervous. "Don't let us get separated, okay? I will freak out."

"I won't."

They both managed to catch the end of Herman's speech. "...that is definitely the most important thing to remember. Now, the goal of this little adventure is to, of course, _find the party!_ "

The entire crowd broke out into cheers.

"You'll know that you have survived the haunted mazes the moment you find the Grand Ballroom on mid-level B. That, my friends, is where you'll find the hottest night club in Chicago _and_ the main bar."

Everyone cheered again, and Herman smiled knowingly, continuing with, "so try not to attract any of our ghosts—you wouldn't want them following you home—and be sure to have a good time." Herman then opened the double doors, letting in the first of the crowd.

Donna rallied the group for one final pow-wow. "Alright, we all need to stick together, _Kelso._ "

"What?" he replied, confused.

"No wandering off."

"I've got him," Brooke said lovingly, smiling up at him and quickly getting ambushed with an Eskimo kiss.

"Aw, you love me," he cooed, eliciting a whispered response from her, deep in his ear. She was obviously telling him something he wanted to hear because his smile was intoxicating, even from a few feet away. Jackie watched the entire exchange and suddenly missed Colin and for a reason that baffled even her, the feeling made her clasp tightly onto Hyde's arm as they slowly followed the crowd through the double doors and into the dark.

"Steven?" Shocked and slightly amused by her use of his first name, Hyde hesitated before responding. "Hyde, answer me."

"I'm right here."

"Stay close."

"Jackie, relax. I'm not going to lose you."

Gripping onto the palm of his right hand, her cheek pressed against his upper arm, Jackie couldn't help but catch the faint smell of him. It was the same scent from years before—his skin or his detergent, maybe. She wasn't sure. But whatever it was, it was familiar, yet distant, rushing up fast from somewhere deep in her memory, a place nearly forgotten. His arms were a little stronger than she remembered, though, his body a little thicker, and his manner, thankfully, a little more pleasant.

Hanging on to this grown man, she felt safe, warm, and _unbelievably_ drunk. With every new step forward, every twist of the muscles in his arm, every pass of his thumb over her hand, Donna's voice rang through her head like a nagging bell.

 _You have a boyfriend._

 _He has a girlfriend._

 _You're getting way too cozy with someone else's man._

The giant redhead was crazy.

But as a mild case of guilt came on, assisting her hand in a quick retreat, she felt Hyde's fingers interlace with hers. A glance in his direction revealed the lazy gaze he held on her, and Jackie watched him smile at her confusion, his eyes soft, putting her at ease as the darkness enveloped them both.

"Don't be scared," he whispered in her ear, "there are no ghosts. It's all a load of crap."

He squeezed her hand, and touched by her ex-boyfriend's rare thoughtfulness, Jackie absentmindedly kissed his upper arm mere seconds before being violently yanked away from him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Glowing in the Dark**

* * *

'Cause nothin' lasts forever  
And we both know hearts can change  
And it's hard to hold a candle  
In the cold November rain

* * *

 **October 31, 1984**

 **9:11 PM**

"Jackie!"

Not yet adjusted to the darkness, Hyde's blurred vision locked in on the rapidly distancing blue ring that was wrapped around Jackie's wrist, giving him the perfect beacon to follow. Hastily cutting through the dark sea of colorful floating rings and being stopped by grumbling bodies in the process, Hyde quickly became disoriented, losing sight of her. He stopped and slurred profanities to himself. An unproductive tactic, maybe, but fuck if there weren't at least ten blue bracelets within a twenty-foot radius of him. "Damn it. _Jackie!_ "

"Hyde!"

"Jackie, wave!"

She did, and Hyde finally distinguished her blue bracelet from the others as it moved across the darkness like a windshield wiper. When he finally closed in on her location, he called out to her again, quieter this time.

"Jackie?"

"Hyde!"

Hyde reached out and took her blue-ringed wrist, pulling her toward him to ensure her identity. "That you," he asked, cupping her small familiar face in his hands.

Jackie could smell the liquor on his breath as his calloused palms warmed her cheeks. Oddly enough, the feeling comforted her. "It's me," she replied, eliciting a relieved, tequila-scented sigh from him. Her body relaxed. She wasn't alone.

Hyde dropped his hands from her cheeks. "What the hell just happened?"

"I happened," Donna's voice told him. "She's going to walk with us."

"What? Why?"

"Because she thinks you and I are getting too 'flirty' with each other," Jackie answered on behalf of her meddling friend.

"Yeah, that's right. I do." No further explanation seemed necessary in the crowded, pitch black room.

Before Hyde could respond, the room began to illuminate in slow strobe-like bursts, revealing the details of their whereabouts one burst at a time, and finally revealing each other's locations. They appeared to be in something like a dilapidated morgue. Blood was sprayed across filthy walls. Dirty surgical instruments hung from the ceiling. On the longer two of the four walls sat the square doors of over a hundred body drawers, subtly taunting every occupant in the room.

Hyde slowly made a full 360 and smirked his pleasure. "Awesome."

The music portion of "Thriller" began to fill the room, accompanying the gruesome scene perfectly and causing the girls to whine while Hyde shared a quick chuckle with Eric.

While the guys, minus Kelso, seemed to be quite amused with the entire set up, the girls were typical in their fear.

Disturbed by the images that hazily violated her eyes, Jackie shuffled quickly toward Hyde and took safety against his chest. "I don't like this," she whined, squeezing his body tightly and her eyelids shut. It had been years since she held him this way, but she squeezed him tight anyway, needing the comfort of a man.

"Me neither," Kelso whimpered as Brooke gripped his waist, seeking her own shelter.

"Jackie," Donna called out as she watched her friend hug Hyde and dig deeper into the night's inevitable mistake, but Hyde quickly put the redhead in her place.

"Donna, will you quit it? There's nothing going on."

"Hyde..."

"Donna. You're starting to piss me off. Butt the hell out."

"Fine. Do whatever you want. Just don't come crying to me later."

Her instinct to mouth off caused Jackie to do something she would soon come to regret: open her eyes. "AHHH!" she screamed at what she saw, forcing her body hard against Hyde's, becoming frustrated that she couldn't crawl inside his chest to hide. "Steven!"

As Hyde realized the cause of her fear, he hugged her back and chuckled. "Jackie, come on, none of this is real," he assured her, nodding as a wave of chunky blood slowly trickled down the two bare walls on either side of them. "Cool."

On cue with the music, Vincent Price began his sinister rap.

 _Darkness Falls Across the Land  
The Midnight Hour Is Close at Hand  
Creatures Crawl in Search of Blood  
To Terrorize Y'all's Neighborhood_

Kelso scooted toward the center of the group, bringing Brooke with him. "This is getting really creepy, you guys."

Eric smirked at Hyde. "Hyde, you gotta admit, it's a little scary."

"I guess." With little more than morbid interest, Hyde simply looked around as he cradled Jackie's nuzzling head.

" _Oh, crap!_ " Donna shouted, leaping at Eric. His eyes went wide with the other two guys, the only other ones with their eyes still open.

"Jackie, keep your eyes shut," Hyde warned, snickering, wrapping his arms tighter around her head, intentionally blocking any view she might accidentally take in.

"Why? Oh, my god! What's going on?"

Kelso did the same with Brooke, uttering repeatedly, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..."

Unlike the girls, the guys couldn't have shut their eyes if they wanted to. The sight of random drawers sliding open to reveal the mutilated bodies of the recently deceased and the severely decomposed corpses of the long time dead, now climbing free of their metal tombs, had them entranced.

Hyde shook his head in amazement. "Freakin' awesome."

Eric agreed with a cautious nod.

The ominous rant of Vincent Price continued to fall upon horrified ears as most of the room began to scream at the realization that they were slowly becoming cornered by zombies, fake or not, it didn't seem to matter. Opening her eyes briefly, Donna watched the screaming people around her; they had gotten her curious, but after saying, "Oh, screw this," she returned her face to the bend of Eric's neck. "Eric."

Also curious, Brooke peeked through her fingers from her position against Kelso's chest. "Michael," she demanded through worried lips. "Make it stop."

"Baby, if I could, I would," he said, hugging her tight. "Just close your eyes."

 _And Though You Fight to Stay Alive  
Your Body Starts to Shiver  
For No Mere Mortal Can Resist  
The Evil of The Thriller..._

Jackie was the last to peek. The room was still being poorly lit by slow strobes from dingy, swinging ceiling lamps, which was disturbing in itself, but now, ugly, mutilated cadavers were closing in on her. This was not her idea of a good time! Looking up, she found Hyde's surprisingly-relaxed eyes staring down at her. "I don't like this anymore," she whimpered, grateful for his bravery.

"Jackie, they're just actors. Really crappy ones from what I'm seeing."

"I still don't like it."

The corner of his lips rose into a slight grin as he watched her bottom lip plump in worry, inches from his own. He returned her head to his chest and held onto her, quickly forgetting about the silly bout of chaos developing around them. Instead of worrying about bad actors and fake blood, Hyde worried about something much more germane—the fact that Jackie felt incredible in his arms. Maybe Donna had been on to something. Maybe there _was_ something dicey about the two of them getting along.

As his heart pounded in his chest, Hyde wondered whether or not his sudden crush on her was a result of his ten shots (five double shots) of tequila or if it was actually her. One thing he was lucid enough to recognize was that these did not seem to be leftover feelings for the girl he left behind in 1979, but rather an intense attraction to the beautiful _woman_ pressed up against him tonight.

At that very moment, Jackie whined, having peeked again, and snaked her arms around his neck, nuzzling her face into the curve where his neck met with his shoulder. The unbelievably warm feeling of her lips, her soft breath, against his skin made his chest tighten, and he sighed, knowing.

 _Damn it._

What the hell was she doing to him tonight? He suddenly wished he'd just stayed home. Shutting his eyes and moving his hands down to the small of her back, Hyde prayed for sobriety to come and save his weakened constitution.

" _Check it out!_ " someone shouted over the loud blood curdling groans of the undead. With a quick glance around, the more observant members of the large crowd, including Eric and Hyde, took notice of a shallow, poorly lit hallway at the end of the room. It hadn't been there before, but now in sporadic intervals, another dim light would appear, revealing a deeper view down the narrow corridor. It was the way out. So, in an attempt to escape the macabre scene and move on from the anarchy of screaming girls and pestering stiffs, the crowd hastily followed the obvious lure.

Hyde shrugged at Eric. "I guess we're supposed to follow."

Jackie grabbed Hyde's hand and nudged Brooke at the same time, "Let's get the hell _out of here,_ " Jackie shrieked as one of the stiffs approached her. She took off running, dragging Hyde along with her. " _Brooke!_ " she yelled back.

"I'm right _behind you,_ " Brooke yelped as the same corpse followed her scrambling form. With Kelso in tow, she followed her friend down the dark hallway, closely followed by Eric and Donna.

"Ow, Donna! Rip my arms off, why don't you!"

"Eric, I don't like this crap. I'm scared."

"Don't worry, babe. I'll protect you."

Donna cocked her head at him.

"I'm a fast runner?" he shrugged, getting her approval. Pleased, Eric slipped his arm around her waist as they slowly trailed behind the rest of the group, "You know," he began with a sigh, watching Jackie and Hyde up ahead. "You're probably right to worry about them, but there's not much we can do. They're both adults and it's _their_ lives. It's none of our business."

"I know. I just also know that she's drunk, and she loves Colin, and girls, well, we try to keep our friends from getting drunk and doing something they'll regret."

"See us _guys_ are the opposite. We _encourage_ our friends to get drunk and do something they'll regret. That's just what we do; 'cause it's funnier that way."

Donna laughed briefly. "Well, there's nothing funny about a sobbing Jackie, so I'll stick to my way and you do whatever you want."

Without hesitation, Eric slipped his index finger into the slit of her cleavage, evoking a yelp out of her.

"Hey!"

Eric feigned innocence. "You said to do whatever I wanted."

Donna turned slightly to smack his arm, and out of her peripheral vision noticed that they were actually being followed by about a hundred zombies from the previous room. She screamed and forced Eric into a light jog and into the darkness of the remaining unlit hallway. "Crap! The _one_ time I wear heels!"

Up ahead, Jackie, Hyde, Kelso and Brooke moved down the dark corridor where Jackie continued to whimper as they walked. "I hate this," she complained, gripping onto Hyde's hand with her left and Brooke's with her right. "It's like you never know when..." Just then something growled and lunged at her, sending her screaming body flying all the way into Kelso's, making him scream bloody murder in return. Unaware that it was only Jackie, he shoved her back to where she had come from.

"Whoa," Hyde blurted, catching Jackie as she crashed into him. "Man, What the hell? Are you alright?" he asked her.

Jackie pulled herself together and grabbed his arm, hooking it around her own waist, _determined_ not to go through that again. "I'm fine," she finally answered, giggling once she realized she was safe. "I think it scared Michael more than anything."

"I wasn't scared, _Jackie._ "

"Then why did you shove her, _Kelso_ ," Hyde rebuked.

"I didn't want my Brookie getting jealous that Jackie was all over me, _Hyde_ ," Kelso responded, before leaning in to whisper to Brooke, "You really should kick her ass, baby."

"Oh, _shut up_ _Michael_ _,_ " Jackie laughed. "You're...AHH!" Another monster jumped out of the darkness, prompting all four friends to forget about their petty conversation and take off running toward the faint light up ahead, laughing like hell.

They finally reached the end of the treacherous hallway and entered another badly lit area containing two downward heading staircases, the edges of which provided the only light in the room. It was the fork in their metaphorical road. The entire crowd was pooled in the area and split between the two options.

Jackie turned to Hyde. "Which way should we go?"

"I say we take the right staircase," Kelso suggested, cutting in.

Hyde nodded. "Why the right one?"

"Because it's _right._ Duh."

Hyde thoughtfully studied his friend and they shared a silly, drunken grin. "Man, why do I get the feeling you base way too much on that logic?"

"Hey, man, I'll have you know that Betsy wouldn't be here today if it weren't for that logic."

Brooke craned her neck back and frowned at Jackie, immediately taking notice of Eric and Donna as they ran up behind the small girl. Donna slowed to a hop and pulled off her heels as Eric, out of breath and wide-eyed, addressed the group. "Those zombies are following us, and it's really _freakin'_ me out!"

Jackie shared a concerned look with Brooke. "Let's just go home."

"No," Hyde grimaced and looked at Eric. "Why don't you just calm down, Mary-Ann. You're scaring the girls."

"I'm _Gilligan_ _._ " Eric corrected for probably the tenth time.

"Whatever," Hyde said, linking hands with Jackie. He took the lead and headed straight for the staircase on the right, behind another set of couples. "Let's just go before we lose everybody," he said as the other four quickly followed.

As Jackie descended the dimly lit staircase, one step behind Hyde, her hand still joined with his, she had a disturbing thought. _She was loving this._ Not because it was fun or because she was drunk but because for some sick reason, she found herself reveling in Hyde's protective attention. She had spent so many _years_ of her life trying to get it and now, having it effortlessly pleased her to no end. What was it about him, she wondered, that made her want him to take notice of her so badly? What was it about him that made her feel like she was sixteen all over again?

It had been the one thing that kept her locked under his spell for so long, her practically _innate_ desire for his attention, and it was the death of that desire that had finally released her from the choke hold he inadvertently had on her. So, to say the least, its return was not welcome. Although, she suspected that her sudden crush had little to do with him and more to do with Jose Cuervo and his delicious damn tequila. It was driving her inexplicable craving for his affection and slowly pickling her brain, diluting the one thing that was keeping her lips from pursuing his in the dark — sweet guilt.

"Hey, Hyde," Kelso called out, catching up with his friend on the landing between stairways. "I've got something that'll make this even funner."

"Funner than tequila?"

Kelso nodded and reached into his pocket, presenting Hyde with a clean, perfectly-rolled joint. "Way funner."

"That _is_ way funner," Hyde said happily. "Nice thinkin', Kelso."

"Thank you."

"No, thank _you_."

Donna interrupted the love fest. "Alright, can you two quit sucking each other's pee-pees for five seconds and just light the thing up before we lose the crowd?"

"Ew, Donna."

Donna rolled her eyes. "It's just an expression, Jackie."

"Well, leave your weirdo, feminist lingo at the rally from now on, okay," Jackie derided, scrunching up her nose and making Hyde chuckle. Noticing his response, she smiled up at him with big eyes, and he wanted to look away, he did, but his reaction time was slowed to a mere crawl, thanks to the booze, and she caught him in his adoring gaze. _Screw it all_ , he thought, he couldn't help it, he had forgotten how cute she was.

Hyde squeezed his duplicitous eyes shut and finally looked away. _Jessica, Jessica, Jessica, Jessica..._

"Hyde!"

"Huh?"

"I said here, man," Eric repeated, giving his friend a strange look and holding out the now lit joint.

"Oh, yeah." Hyde checked the stairs before putting the joint to his lips and taking in a lung-full. While he held the smoke, he passed the joint to Jackie, who was about to do the same thing when an older couple came thumping down the stairs toward them. Jackie pushed it back at Hyde to pinch it out with his fingers. Everything seemed in order except for one thing: Hyde still had the smoke in his lungs. As the couple slowly passed, all he could do was return their friendly nods with a shit-eating grin. In the meantime, his lungs were ready to burst and give him away.

"Is he alright?" the woman asked, stopping directly in front of him.

"Who, Hyde? He's fine," Kelso quickly replied, "He's got brontosaurus."

" _Bronchitis,_ " Brooke corrected.

Kelso nodded casually. "That, too."

Right then, Hyde began to choke.

"Oh baby, you're so hot! I need you now," Jackie exclaimed melodramatically and yanked Hyde away. Without caution, she slammed her own back into a corner, bringing him with her. Forcefully, she grabbed his cheeks, pulling his head toward hers, until his lips were an inch from her own, and opened her mouth, giving him a place to release his smoke. Hyde sealed his mouth over hers, fighting the urge to search out her tongue with his own as she took his breath.

Relieved, Hyde closed his eyes. "Thanks," he whispered huskily in her ear, sending a chill up her spine as she held his breath in her lungs. They knew they had about thirty seconds before she, too, would require the sanctuary of his mouth, and, counting the seconds, they waited, staring at each other.

The older woman looked strangely at the rather affectionate young woman and her poor, sickly boyfriend and then returned her attention to the rest of the gang. "Did you see which way everyone went?"

Donna smiled sweetly and pointed down the remaining set of stairs. "Down that way."

"Thank you," the old woman smiled and continued on with her husband.

A few seconds later, when the couple was out of view, Jackie exhaled the now-tenuous smoke and returned Hyde's whisper with a smile. "You're welcome."

At that, Hyde relaxed his forehead against hers. "That was close."

* * *

The four remaining members of the group paused together, eyes wide, partially confused, partially concerned over the huddled pair in the corner. The view of Hyde's back, and Jackie's boots poking out from between his legs left little to be imagined.

Donna raised an eyebrow at Kelso. "Told you."

He looked at Brooke, searching for her thoughts, but she appeared just as bewildered, merely shrugging.

"Ahem!"

Nothing.

"Um, hello," Donna continued.

Hyde turned around and stepped away from Jackie. "Are they gone?"

" _Dude_ , they left like...yesterday," Eric replied.

Kelso stepped forward. "Hey, were you two just making out over there?"

Eric, Donna and Brooke were silently thankful for Kelso's natural lack of tact. The question needed to be asked.

" _No,"_ Hyde answered disdainfully, not counting the union of their open mouths only seconds before. "We were just waiting for that couple to leave. We don't need them ratting on us for the dope and getting us kicked out of here."

"What did you do with your smoke, man," Eric asked.

Jackie stepped away from the corner and stood strong with Hyde. "He blew it in the corner," she said without a single hint of deception in her voice.

Hyde inwardly celebrated, grateful for the lie that he didn't have to tell. He was terrible at it and she was a pro, and it was times like these that he truly appreciated her inborn deception skills. They didn't need any more crap tonight over something that was not going to happen.

Everyone turned their attention to Hyde for his confirmation.

"Yep, right in the corner," Hyde concurred with an unconvincing grin, instantly making the other four suspect the worst. Inwardly, Jackie cursed Hyde for being such a crappy liar. She found it impossible to _really_ trust someone who sucked so badly at fibbing. It just wasn't natural.

"Come on, Steven," she said, gripping his arm and pulling him down the stairs with her, saving him from himself in the process. The remaining four shared a brief moment of incredulity, all silently wishing they had just left the two back at home.

Eric made a face. " _Steven?_ " he muttered, shifting his eyes and pointing out the obvious.

Donna groaned. " _Crap._ " It hadn't even registered in her head when Jackie said it, and up until this point, she hadn't been totally sure, but now she was _positive_ that Jackie had crossed back over to the dark side where her infatuation with Hyde once resided. "Kelso, Brooke, one of you need to talk to her. She's not listening to me."

"I will," Kelso offered.

"Well, do it quickly, before they do something stupid." Donna looked at Eric. "We're never taking them out drinking without Colin or Jessica, ever again..."

The gang regrouped at the bottom of the stairs, only to find that the crowd was nowhere in sight. "Well, this sucks," Hyde slurred as he looked around, Jackie still hooked to his arm. "Where the hell did they all go?" He looked around. "How do a hundred people just disappear."

Jackie shrugged.

"Man, look. I think they're down that hall," Eric said, pointing down a darkened, flickering corridor. "I swear I just saw someone."

Kelso approached Hyde. "Hey, where's my joint, man?"

Hyde pulled it out of his pocket and pressed it to Kelso's chest where he heard a clink. He frowned. "What was that?" After pulling back at Kelso's suit blazer, Hyde plucked out a small glass bottle from the inside pocket, pissed when he realized what it was. "I bought you all those shots and you had a bottle of Jack?"

Kelso stammered out a pathetic response. "I, I wanted tequila, man."

"Well, I want my twenty bucks back, and I'll accept _this_ as down payment," Hyde said, with a taunting grin. Opening the bottle, he took a swig, then took a hold of Jackie's hand.

Without another word, they all headed down the long hallway that appeared to have no end in sight. "Hey, Jackie," Kelso whispered. "I wanted to talk to you about something." He handed Brooke over to Hyde, who seemed oblivious to the date transfer, and pulled Jackie to the back of the group as they walked.

Jackie was confused. "What's going on, Michael?"

"You know I love you, right Jackie?"

"Yeah, I know," Jackie answered, perplexed at the reiteration of something they'd discussed a million times before. "Michael, what?"

"Look, Jackie. Hyde's really, really, _really_ drunk, so the way he's acting, you know, being all nice to you... Look, I just don't want you to take it the wrong way, okay."

"What are you talking about?"

"Jackie, you're drunk and so is he, and you called him 'Steven', and in case you didn't know, you and first names is a bad sign," he informed her, raising his eyebrows to push his point. "I know it's been a long time, but don't forget what happened with you guys. You've got Colin now, and I really like him. He's my friend. So, don't blow it for me, Jackie."

Rolling her eyes, Jackie laughed at this boy who had loved her for as long as she could remember and stopped walking, taking his hands into her own. "Michael, I know you're just trying to protect me. It's sweet, but nothing is going on with me and Hyde, OK? And _trust me_ , I would never forget what he did to me, just like I would never forget what _you_ did for me back then, too, so don't worry. I'm not stupid, and I'm not that drunk." That was a lie. Six shots of tequila coursing through the bloodstream of her one-hundred-five-pound body had nowhere to go but her brain. But Kelso didn't need to know that. His expression told her that he was honestly concerned for her. "Come here," she said, steadying herself on her tiptoes and giving him a big hug. "Thank you, but it's fine. Really."

* * *

A minute later Hyde returned Kelso's fiancé to him after nearly fifty feet of protecting her from underpaid college students and plastic props. Grateful to have Jackie back with him, he hooked her in by the waist and grinned. He liked this, and was hammered, really hammered. It was a good night.

A few minutes later the gang all made it through their second gruesome hallway, scared out of their wits but laughing like hell, and, as promised, came to the first of four mazes. Forced to wait in a waiting area by two leather clad guards, everyone took the opportunity to hit the restrooms. Inside the women's restroom, Jackie received an ear-full from Donna.

"Did you kiss him in that corner?"

"No."

" _Jackie,_ " Donna began before being cut off by Brooke.

"OK. Everyone just needs to calm down. Jackie," Brooke said, turning calmly to her friend. "Did you kiss him?"

Jackie smirked at Donna, answering curtly. "I already told you. No."

"Okay," Brooke said. "I believe you."

Donna rolled her eyes at Brooke's naivete. "Brooke."

"Donna."

" _Fine,"_ the redhead conceded. "I believe you, too, then, Jackie."

Jackie narrowed her bloodshot eyes. _What a load of crap_. "Thank you, Donna."

"You're welcome."

* * *

In the men's room, Hyde answered a few questions of his own.

Kelso zipped up his slacks. "OK, so if I'm Gilligan, I only have to take out the professor, 'cause who wants to nail a fat guy and an old guy? And then BAM, I'm sandwiched between two hot chicks! Am I right?"

Hyde nodded, his puffy, bloodshot eyes more prominent in the bright, florescent light. "Yeah, two hot chicks."

Kelso and Eric shared a laugh. "Man, you're so wasted," Kelso said with a smile before turning back to Eric _. "_ Looks like someone's ending up in a dress tonight." He grew excited. "OH! Hey, does Donna have any hot little mini-skirts like the one Jackie's wearing? We can make him _sexy_."

Hyde fell back against the wall and groaned. "God, that mini-skirt."

Kelso nodded. "Yeah. She does look pretty hot in it."

"Kelso," Eric bit. "What did we just talk about?"

"Oh, yeah... Um, she looks pretty _fat_ in it."

Hyde grimaced. "No, she doesn't, man. She looks freakin' _hot_ tonight."

"Yeah," Kelso had to admit before turning to face Eric's burning scowl. "Look, Eric. How hot a girl looks in a mini-skirt is just not something I can lie about. Anything else! But not that."

* * *

The three girls stood in silence out in the waiting area as the boys came out of the restroom, one by one. Frustrated, Donna pulled Eric away, prompting a strange look from Brooke.

"She'll get over it," Jackie assured her, her head woozy.

Kelso came out and playfully hugged Brooke, lifting her in the air and kissing her neck as he carried her giggling body away. Now left alone, Jackie just stood, her arms folded, waiting, when Hyde crept up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. "Hey." His deep voice rang soft in her ear and she wondered, as he hooked his chin on her shoulder, just how far this whole 'flirting' thing was actually going to go. Certain that the answer lay in her control, she dropped her head back against him and closed her eyes, unabashedly soaking in his warmth and suddenly not giving a damn what anyone else thought about it. What was a little harmless flirting? It was a night out, and they were young.

A few minutes later, while the gang still waited at the entrance to the first maze, a group of people stepped out from the dark labyrinth. "Is this the other side," the taller of the men asked Eric. "Did you already go through?" He looked confused, and so did Eric as he answered.

"Uh... No, we're still waiting to go in, man."

"Damn it. This is the entrance!" the man yelled back to an unseen person as he grumbled obscenities and turned back around, quickly disappearing back into the darkness.

Eric raised his eyebrows playfully, totally intrigued. "Uh, oh."

After finally being given the 'OK' to enter, the gang cautiously stepped inside the anarchistic maze, two by two. Eric and Donna took the lead, discovering almost immediately how the man and his friends could become so easily lost in the twisted black mess of torment and murder. The sounds of chainsaws and painful screams filled their ears as they followed tiny black lights on the ground that seemed to lead to nowhere. Deeper inside, the never-ending ambushes continued and caused the distance between each pair to widen, allowing Hyde the opportunity to finally do what his stricken, carefree brain had been scheming for nearly five minutes.

Without warning, he startled Jackie by pulling her away from the group and into a nearby crevice, a veritable spider hole used by the crew to make their stealthy attacks.

"Steven, what are you doing?" It was so dark that Jackie could barely see him, only his silhouette stared back at her from mere inches away. The cramped quarters of the space allowed her to feel his clumsy movements while he dug into his jacket pocket.

"Donna is bugging the crap out of me," he explained, placing a small bottle in her hands. "You want some?"

"Sure." She actually needed to sober up before drinking another drop, but her need for a distraction proved more immediate. Upon entering the small space, a wretched wave of anxiety had forced her pounding heart into her throat because the truth was: she knew _exactly_ why he had brought her in here. She wasn't stupid.

Determined to take control of the situation, but still needing a quick distraction, Jackie took a swig of the amber liquid, quickly realizing that the bottle in her hand was more than half empty. "Did you drink all of this?"

"Pretty much," Hyde responded in that sleepy tone that she recognized from years before. _Oh, god._ It was happening. Suddenly the unbridled anxiety Jackie was feeling took over her body and she desperately polished off the remaining three ounces of whiskey. Blinded by darkness, with her back to the wall, she could only _feel_ the sensation of Hyde's hands taking hold of her hips and pulling them against his own. He did it with complete confidence, as if she had been his for the taking all along, and it was that caveman gesture that sent a deep chill through her chest, prompting her respirations to increase in rate and depth as she struggled to speak. "What are you doing, Steven?"

A painful twinge rippled through her chest when Hyde, in response, brought his lips to her cheek, dragging them sluggishly over her skin and toward her ear as he spoke. "What do you think I'm doing?"

Jackie swallowed hard and choked out a weak, " _I don't know anymore_ _._ "

Spreading his legs to come level with her smaller stature, Hyde nuzzled her ear briefly before wrapping his lips around her soft lobe. "I want you so bad," he whispered, causing her eyes to flutter shut, leaving only the feeling of his warm, wet mouth as it sucked and nipped at her sensitive lobe.

Instinctively drawn toward the source of her pleasure, Jackie turned her head slightly to nuzzle against his. "Oh, Steven." she sighed, completely intent on quelling his advances. "You only want me 'cause you're drunk."

"I'm only _telling_ you 'cause I'm drunk. I want you cause you're hot and god, you smell so good." He hissed in a deep, shaky breath and pressed his lower body hard against hers — not enough to hurt but enough to make her feel the effect she was having on him. "I forgot how good you taste," he groaned, continuing his oral quest across her neck.

Jackie gasped. She had forgotten how good his mouth felt. With a dull thud, her head hit the wall behind her, purposefully exposing her naked throat to him. "We can't do this," she whimpered, completely contradicting her own actions.

Hyde continued to explore in the complete darkness, sucking and kissing, and gently biting every inch of her flesh. "Why not?"

"Because of... of, um..." Jackie swallowed down her pounding heart. "Colin and... uh..." The new sensation of his roaming hands made her pause, rendering her nearly stupid as they slipped down around her waist to grip her ass. "Oh, God... What's her name?"

Hyde stopped, his lips still on her neck as he took in a deep breath and opened his eyes. "Jess."

It was the reminder he needed. Fifty miles away was a girl who loved and trusted him, never once questioning his decision to escort his incredibly hot ex-girlfriend to a party on Halloween night. But instead of pulling away in response to his guilt, Hyde pulled Jackie in for the tightest hug he had ever given another human being in his life, gingerly lifting her off her feet. He still wanted her, still needed to feel her against him, still desperately hoped to kiss her, and couldn't bring himself to let go.

"God, Jackie. I'm so drunk."

Genuine fear was laced within his words, so Jackie hugged him back, closing her arms _so_ tightly around his neck that the two couldn't have physically gotten any closer. "I know, baby."

She was, too.

"Tell me you don't want this," he pleaded with her. "Tell me to stop, because I don't think I can." His lips gently returned to her skin as he kissed in time with his whispered pleas.

Trapped in a weakened state herself, Jackie moaned at the heady mix of his soft lips contrasted against the scruff of his cheek as it grazed hers. She was gradually becoming lost in the sensations he was eliciting, and it wasn't long before she began to grate her hips into his, utterly aroused by the bulge in his jeans and the deep whimper of his arousal in her ear. "God, Steven." Nearly delirious, she ground harder against him and turned her head, searching for his lips, sending him into a frenzy.

"Fuck, Jackie. Please." Trailing harried kisses up her throat, closing in on her panting mouth, he grew desperate. "Tell me to stop..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Ghost of You**

* * *

 _December 5, 1977_

 _"Steven! You shaved your beard off!"_

 _In Jackie's mind's eye, the image of rushing toward Hyde was as clear as a summer's day. He was so young, so jaded, but still so, so sweet. It was the way she liked to remember him. It always would be._

 _"I thought it might cheer you up."_

 _"Oh my god. You shaved it off for me... You let the razor say the words your mouth couldn't speak."_

 _She still remembered the feeling; it was a twinge, a pulse of heat that raked through her chest. He really did care. He loved that stupid beard, but now maybe he loved her more. The idea filled her heart with hope_ — _a feeling in short supply on this cold December day with her Dad in jail and her Mom God knows where._

 _Then, there it was: that smile. Reaching up, she remembered thinking that she had never felt his soft cheeks before, not as his girlfriend anyway, and not in such a way that had ever earned her the sweet glow that now graced his face. His smiling, almost drowsy, eyes that gazed into hers, the corners of his mouth as they lifted slightly into a small smile_ , _they made her want to kiss him, and never stop._

 _"Awww!"_

 _"Shut-up!"_

 _Her focus held solely on Hyde's smooth face, Jackie ignored the commotion around them and gave him a soft kiss._

 _And off to his room they went, with her leading the way._

 _Jackie shut the door behind them, settling her back against it, content to never leave this spot as long as he agreed to stay here with her._

 _She watched him grin as he stood in front of her. "What," he asked, suddenly seeming embarrassed under her adoring gaze. "Why are you staring at me like that?"_

 _It took her a moment to respond; there seemed no rush today. "The last time I saw you like this, I was with Michael, and now I'm with you."_

 _His smile grew as he nodded and slowly brought his cheek_ — _still cool from the outside air_ — _in contact with her warm one, caressing his way toward her ear._

 _"Steven," Jackie giggled at the ticklish feeling. "Why did you do that? Shave your beard, I mean." She could hear him chuckle lightly in her ear, his breath tickling just enough to feel good._

 _"To cheer you up," she heard him softly say before pulling her lobe into his warm mouth. He was feeling frisky. "God, you taste good."_

 _The combination of his baby soft cheeks and the course hairs of his still remaining sideburns lit her nerve endings on fire as he nipped and sucked at the sensitive tip of her ear. Maybe she was feeling frisky too._

 _"Say you want me," he continued as he pulled down the cuff of her turtleneck and left a delicate path of kisses from her earlobe down to her throat, sending the butterflies that swarmed in her stomach into a fluttering frenzy. "Say you want me as much as I want you right now."_

 _"I want you," she whispered back, shutting her eyes at the feeling of his lips on her skin..._

Jackie opened her eyes, quickly returning to her once unknown future, Hyde's body still pressed up against hers in the dark, pressing kisses into her throat—this time nearly seven years older and begging for a way out...

 **October 31, 1984**

 **9:54 PM**

It suddenly occurred to her that this man was not _that boy_ _._ _He_ was long gone. It was _him_ that she wanted, _him_ that she missed late at night—not this man that belonged to someone else. Jackie's entire face clenched from the pain, the hurt furiously ripping through her chest until her eyes burned with tears. "Hyde, stop."

Hyde pulled back, startled out of his lustful fog by the wounded inflection in her voice. He took a quick inventory of his surroundings as she inexplicably cried against his shoulder—her skirt bunched up to her waist; her leg hooked over his hip, held securely in place by his right hand while his other arm was coiled tightly around her waist. "Shit... Jackie... I'm sorry. I didn't... I don't know what I'm thinking." He put her leg back down and gingerly fixed her skirt. Then, slipping his hands up into her hair, he held her head still and pressed his forehead to hers. "Jackie. I'm really sorry."

They stood in the dark for a moment while Jackie softly cried, silent until she snaked her arms around his neck and drew in a deep, cleansing breath. "Just hold me for a second, Steven."

Confused as all hell, but feeling guiltier than anything, Hyde complied with her only wish and held her, nuzzling his face into her hair. "I'm sorry. Okay? It won't happen again."

"Don't be sorry. I wanted you to," she admitted to his surprise. "I'm not crying because of this."

"Then why are you crying?"

Jackie never answered his question. How do you tell someone that you're mourning the death of them while they stand alive right before you? How do you find that person inside to tell them you miss them without sounding like a head case? You don't. You simply blame your irrational tears on the alcohol: the perfect scapegoat. "I'm just drunk, Steven. It's not you."

She heard him take in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he spoke; he sounded relieved.

"Yeah, I'm pretty wasted, too." Hyde _was_ relieved, and grateful, that she was clear-headed enough to save him from making a huge, costly mistake. "Thanks," he whispered and kissed her head. "For stopping me." The urge to find her mouth and kiss her deep was still insanely strong, but he pinched his lips together and tried to quell the urge, tried to clear his head.

Jackie smiled, finally letting go of her tears, until she felt his lower body lazily fall against hers, revealing his still prominent erection. "Steven," she bellowed, slightly embarrassed. She giggled in his ear, and he pulled his hips back and away from her.

"Sorry. Crap," he grumbled, fighting back his own laughter, "It won't go down." He tried to fight it, but to no avail; crying, giggling, or both—she was still a sexy woman. But her growing amusement seeped into his intoxicated bloodstream and pulled him in, masking his embarrassment and sparking a sudden laughing fit between them. "It's that freakin' skirt, man, and those boots. They make your legs look incredible."

Once the silence resumed, they both sighed and then snickered again. "Come on, you pervert. Let's go," Jackie said, pulling him by the hand.

"Hey, it went down," he said in defense of himself. "I had to force myself to think about what Kelso's wearing underneath that suit."

"Ew," Jackie laughed. "Good thinking..."

* * *

Exit of Maze #1

 _Donna, Eric, Kelso and Brooke had been standing outside the exit to the first maze for at least twenty minutes, waiting for Jackie and Hyde._

"Where the hell are they? I swear to god those two are nothing but trouble waiting to happen." Frustrated, Donna tossed her hands into the air and collapsed against her boyfriend. "Eric," she complained. "We're never going to find the nightclub at this rate."

Eric sighed and looked at Kelso. "What do you want to do, man?"

"You know they might have gotten out before us, and we just didn't notice, what with all the _girl screaming going on_ ," Kelso said, his voice oozing with condescension and his finger wiggling violently in his ear. " _Eric!"_

"That lady came out of nowhere, man!"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "You know, Michael has a point, they might have already come out and left, and we're just standing here like idiots. We should just go and either catch up with them or look for them in the ballroom."

"She's right, let's just go," Donna said, smiling up at Eric, putting on her best baby voice. "And don't worry, honey, I'll protect you from that _super scary_ pregnant lady."

Everyone snickered, except Eric.

"Her stomach bumped _right_ into me, okay. It freaked me out."

* * *

Five Minutes Later

As Jackie and Hyde emerged from the maze, they found themselves in another dimly lit lounge area. They looked around for their friends but found no one familiar in sight. So, Jackie stopped walking and turned around, allowing Hyde to do what he'd been casually doing all night: move in close and take hold of her hips as they spoke.

"Should we wait for them," she asked.

Hyde shrugged. "I guess." Then quickly removing his hands, unsure of why he felt so compelled to touch her tonight, Hyde strolled over to a nearby wall and leaned up against it, folding his arms. Jackie, in the meantime, paced the small area, turning to look at every couple that exited the noisy maze.

After a few minutes, she grew frustrated. "Where _are_ they? You don't think they left us, do you?"

"No, they wouldn't leave us. They probably just got lost. You know Kelso."

"Ugh, _Stupid Michael_ _._ " Jackie hugged her body and moved toward Hyde with a small pout on her lips. "Steven, it's really cold in here." Her pretty new sweater wasn't doing its job.

Hyde sighed and held out his arms. "Come here. But just 'til you get warmed up."

Jackie quickly shuffled over to him and slid her arms into his jacket and around his waist, resting her cheek against his warm chest. She shivered in his arms for a short while until her body finally calmed and sunk comfortably into his.

And as they leaned together against that wall, Hyde—drowsy with intoxication and content—let his heavy eyelids drift shut...

 _August 19, 1977_

 _Beside the warm feeling in his chest, contrasted against the chill from the open fridge, it was her lips that he remembered most about that day. They still tasted sweet, like her lip-gloss, even after hours of kissing them._

 _Despite his lust, he pulled his mouth away from hers to see her face._

 _And there it was: that look. "So, you think I'm badass?" It was mischievous and a little dirty_ — _a look that suited her well. She was vicious and cruel, and it was hot as hell._

 _"Maybe," he replied. Through his own mischievously narrowed eyes, Hyde watched her dip her bottom lip back into her mouth and graze it softly with her teeth, before letting it plump back out_ — _moist and begging to be kissed. He grabbed her hand and hastily pulled her away from the fridge, forgetting to close it shut. "Come on."_

 _Having no recollection of the walk downstairs, Hyde's_ _memory picked back up the moment his back was slammed into the wall outside his room. She had taken charge of the situation and he liked it—a lot._ _He had a sick thought the moment she did it: no wonder Kelso kept her around for so long; because_ _when the desire struck her, she was capable of making the hardest of men beg for more._

 _A searing kiss followed, intense and almost angry, things he felt on a daily basis, except she made them feel incredible as they rushed from the beating organ in his chest down to the one that was growing hard in his pants._

 _Without warning, Jackie pulled away from him, leaving him dissatisfied and a little irritated. But she only smiled between his hands as they cradled her face. She clasped his right hand with her own and pulled it toward her mouth_ , _gently rubbing his thumb over her soft lips._ _Hyde fell into a lascivious trance the moment she laid a thick kiss on the pad of his thumb and then wrapped her lips around it, slowly taking it inside her hot mouth, all the while holding her sleepy gaze on him._

 _"Oh, fuck." Hyde felt each suck and twist of her tongue deep in his groin, making him drunk with lust, and when her other hand graciously gripped his erection through his pants, he closed his eyes. "Jesus, Jackie." The words barely left his lips. He was so engrossed in her activities that he couldn't even recall if he had said the words out loud. But before he knew it, both his hands were deep in her hair and her mouth was back in his possession, tongue tangled with his as he carried her off to his room to feel her on the inside for the first time..._

"Steven?"

Hyde opened his eyes. "Huh?"

"Steven, you're squishing me."

"Huh? Oh, sorry." He loosened his grip.

Jackie smiled up at him, curiously amused. "Did you fall asleep?"

Hyde paused, stunned by the way she was staring up at him, his heart twisting mercilessly in his chest. She was even more beautiful close up.

"No." Hyde replied. "We should probably go. I think maybe they left without us." Jackie let go of his waist, and he pulled off his thin jacket, handing it to her. "Here."

She stopped in mid scowl. "I can't wear dark gray, Hyde; I might as well jump in a chimney chute."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "You want to be cute or do you want to be warm?"

Jackie thought about it, and after a few pondering twitches of her nose, she took his jacket. "Fine. I don't see why I can't be both," she rationalized out loud as she slipped it on, layering it underneath her quite fashionable sweater coat. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, I've got this," he said, pulling down the long sleeves to the white thermal shirt he wore underneath his blue "Almond Joy" t-shirt. He grabbed her hand. "Come on..."

* * *

Twenty-Four Minutes Later

Chased out of Maze #3—the Hall of Horrors—by her snarling date, Jackie screamed and begged for mercy. "Steven, stop it! Please! That's not funny!"

Hyde stopped and grinned just before he reached her trembling form.

"You're right, it's not funny. It's friggin' hilarious. _'Steven, stop_ ," Hyde cried out mockingly, using his best Jackie impersonation, waving his hands in front of him. " _Possessed people freak me out!"_ He chuckled silently, waiting for her reaction, accurately anticipating the delicious rise he was going to get out of her.

Jackie groaned loudly. " _Ooh!_ God! I hate you sometimes!"

Hyde's smile grew; he was _quite_ proud of himself. "No, you don't," he said, calling her bluff as they followed the crowd. "I see you sometimes, when you come around, watching me."

Jackie's entire face distorted in disgust. "Oh, please. You're the one who watches _me_! I see you checking out my legs. You're so obvious."

Hyde simply looked her over from head to toe and shrugged. "You're okay."

Jackie gasped. "Excuse me? _Okay_?" She stopped walking and stood with her arms folded, a few snider remarks away from drawing orphan blood. "Take it back."

Hyde stopped and turned around, folding his arms, too. "No," he said, curtly.

"Take it back, Steven Hyde." Jackie stomped her foot. "Right now."

Shaking his head defiantly—secretly amused by her tantrum—Hyde reiterated. "Nope." Then, he waited for her retort, but none came. Instead, Jackie looked as if she were about to cry. Letting her eyes fall to the floor, she turned back around and continued walking, dropping a few sniffles in his direction.

Hyde's shoulders slumped and his head drew back. _Damn it._ "Aw, come on, Jackie," he said, back peddling as he followed her. "I didn't… I was just messin' with you." He blew out a breath. "Fine, okay. You're freakin' beautiful," he grumbled, unable to believe she had managed this out of him in less than three hours of being here.

Jackie quickly turned around wearing a triumphant smile, gloating as Hyde nodded with his own knowing grin. Immediately accepting of his defeat, he lifted his hand in resignation. "Yeah, OK. You got me with your girl trickery. I'll give you this round."

She hooked her arm around his as they began to walk. "How about we call it even if _you_ promise to stop scaring me?"

Hyde nodded again, and Jackie smiled as they followed the rest of the crowd onto a circular balcony that overlooked a small ballroom. The crackled, haunting voice of Billie Holiday played while nearly thirty couples danced below, all dressed in vintage ballroom attire.

Jackie, Hyde, and the other couples they were walking with, stood in the dark, leaning over the railing to get a better view of the strange scene. Four large amber crystal chandeliers hung high from the ceiling—at their eye level—and lit up the otherwise dark ballroom, casting an evocative, yet eerie, glow on the strange, listless dancers below.

Jackie's voice was dreamy as she spoke. "Oh, Steven. Isn't it beautiful? That's when men knew how to behave, and women knew how to dress."

Hyde frowned inquisitively down at the people below, until a smile formed on his face. "They're only dancing like that cause they're dead, Jackie. Hey, maybe this is their hell: forced to wear ascots and ballroom dance forever."

Jackie looked confused. "What?"

"Yeah, look," he pointed, "They're supposed to be ghosts. Look at their faces."

Hyde saw the disappointment on Jackie's face morph into an optimistic glow. "I think this is their heaven, Steven," she sighed. "It would be mine."

Hyde could have said a host of things to tease her, but decided to let it go, to let her have it. "Maybe it is." He gently took hold of her fingers and pulled her reluctant body away. "Come on."

 _I see your face in every flower  
Your eyes in stars above  
It's just the thought of you  
The very thought of you, my love..._

* * *

Third Class Corridor

Jackie clung to Hyde from behind as he cautiously leaned forward and looked from right to left and then right again. It was dark here, and as he made the last step down off the staircase, he felt his body get tugged backwards.

"No, Steven, let's go back! The ghost lady hates men! She'll kill you, and then I'll be left alone!"

Hyde grabbed her hands and unsuccessfully tried to peel them from his stomach. "Jackie. We can't go back. There's nowhere to go. And I think the ballroom is on the other side of this hallway. We've been through all the mazes twice; there's nothing left." On the outside, Hyde was Superman, but on the inside, he was apprehensive; he hadn't seen another human being, besides Jackie, in nearly twenty minutes. They had been too busy flirting and grabbing at each other—too drunk—to notice that the crowd had gradually disappeared around them. The only clue that they were still on the main path were the small black lights at their feet that had led them to this corridor, aptly titled with an old sign that read, "Third Class Cabins."

Jackie still behind him, Hyde twisted his body and lifted his arm to let her slide around to his side; he'd given up all hope that she would let go entirely. Placing an arm around her, he rested his cheek on her head. "Hey. Just walk with me down one more hallway, and I'll… I'll buy your drinks the rest of the night."

"Okay," she whimpered, squeezing him tight. "Just don't leave me."

"I won't. Come on."

Everything was going well as they made their way down the narrow passageway, until their tiny beacons winked out, leaving nothing but the glow of their blue bracelets in the middle of the pitch blackness.

"Steven!" Jackie gasped, "What happened?"

"Jackie, calm down. I don't know. I can't see anything."

To Hyde's dismay, his ex-girlfriend began to whimper and whine, mumbling 'don't leave me' over and over, clutching onto him like a scared child. "Jackie, I'm not going to leave you. You can't lose me anyway, I've got my blue blacelet… my brue bracelet… my brue blacelet," Hyde chuckled. "I can't even talk anymore."

"Steven, this isn't funny. The ghost lady is going to come for you."

"Who?"

"The ghost lady who was killed here!"

Hyde snorted. "Jackie, come on, man. They made that story up just to scare you so that when you got to this hallway, you'd freak out. It's all part of the plan."

"Well, it's working."

Suddenly, the soft, woeful cries of a woman filtered through the black passage, causing Jackie to cry, too, albeit melodramatically. Hyde wanted to laugh but sighed instead, finding her fear a little endearing. " _Jackie_. Baby, there's nothing to cry about. It's fake."

"I hate this," she whined, twisting his shirt into her fists. Hyde could hear her tiny sniffles only inches from his ear so he held her tighter, silently chuckling. _Chicks._

Then in the distance, doors began to slam as the cries of the woman became deep moans—each one growing louder until the slamming doors were so thunderous and close that Hyde and Jackie could feel the breeze from their violent motion.

Jackie screamed the moment something brushed past her arm, and she jumped into Hyde's arms, straddling him—skirt, be damned—wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"Jackie…I can't breathe."

Jackie loosened her death grip slightly. " _Steven, just get me the fuck out of here!"_

 _"_ _Alright,"_ he griped. "Just… your nails are digging into my shoulder!"

"Stop crying and move!"

Using his hand to guide him, Hyde blindly attempted to carry her down the long corridor. They were moving as slow as pond water, barely making ground when the little black lights suddenly flickered back on. "Hey, alright," Hyde happily exclaimed, "the lights are back!"

" _STEVEN!"_ Jackie's blood curdling scream ripped through him in the form of a painful chill. He felt her leap off his body and grab his hand, yanking at him. " _Steven! She's going to get you!_ " Her terrified gaze was locked on something behind him, and as he reluctantly turned around, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Oh, shit!" he shouted, startled when he met eyes with an extremely grotesque "woman." Her skin was pale, peeling off the bones of her face, and although he knew it was only make-up, it had him freaked. So, with as much coolness as he could muster, Hyde spun around, grabbed his ex-girlfriend, and ran like hell.

* * *

Three Minutes Later

" _Hungry like the wolf" by Duran Duran can be heard faintly in the distance._

 _In touch with the ground  
I'm on the hunt, I'm after you  
Scent and a sound. I'm lost and I'm found  
And I'm hungry like the wolf..._

Jackie's face beamed as her pace quickened. "Steven! Do you hear that? Music!"

Hyde nodded as she dragged him forward. He heard it, and it sounded glorious. He was tired of walking, tired of Halloween, and ready to quench his parched throat with something potent. Walking up a final flight of stairs, they approached the infamous ballroom-turned-modern-nightclub, except it was decorated for the dark holiday and happened to be on a ship.

A guy dressed as the Incredible Hulk offered them each a cup of water at the entrance. "For the screamers," he growled, looking at Hyde, who only scowled and took his water.

"I didn't scream."

The Hulk returned the glare.

"Oh, Steven, he's just playing with you," Jackie giggled as she dragged Hyde away, still glowering at his green friend.

They held hands as they strolled into the nightclub, checking out the scene. There must have been at least fifteen hundred people already occupying it, dancing, drinking, laughing—all dressed for the holiday. Ready to finally have some fun, Jackie came to a stop at the bar and grabbed the front of Hyde's t-shirt, pulling him close as he ordered two shots of Southern Comfort. "You're going to dance with me, right?" she asked him.

Hyde laughed _._ " _No."_

"Steven! You're my date; you _have_ to dance with me!"

"I don't have to do anything," he insisted, handing her a small shot glass full of liquor.

Jackie grumbled as she drank it, her pickled mind silently plotting against him. It was simple: he was drunk. Why was she even bothering with his permission? They stood for a few moments as Hyde scanned the room for his friends. Next to him, Jackie simply stood, pouting, when "Burning down the house" by the Talking Heads suddenly came over the loud speakers of the club.

Jackie's face lit up.

 _Watch out, you might get what you're after  
Cool babies, strange but not a stranger  
I'm an or-di-na-ry guy  
Burning down the house! _

"Oh, come on, Steven! Dance with me!" she yelled over the music as she excitedly tugged at Hyde's hand, slowing pulling him forward. "Pleeease!"

Stubbornly, he grumbled his displeasure but still willingly allowed himself to be dragged onto the dance floor by the petite girl.

"Come here, Steven." Pulling him close and smiling wickedly, Jackie began to move her body to the beat, easily drawing him in with her eyes, her voice seductive. "Dance with me."

Hyde reluctantly complied but wasn't so much dancing but feeling Jackie's hips as they rolled and swiveled underneath his grasp, occasionally grazing teasingly against him. Seductive eyes bewitched him, declaring that she was feeling _sensual_ tonight. He'd never seen her so sexy.

Turning around and leaning her body back against Hyde's, Jackie closed her eyes and continued to twist and undulate, letting herself get lost in the feeling of him behind her, of the music as it vibrated through them both. This was what she needed: energetic release and the sanctuary of noise and an unassuming crowd.

Behind her, Hyde couldn't steal his eyes away, entranced as she gently bucked up against him, her arms raised up to hold his head close to hers. "Jesus, you're fucking _sexy_ , you know that," he groaned in her ear, slipping his arms around her waist and holding her tight as they swayed provocatively together.

"You still think I'm crazy, Brooke?" Donna uttered as the two stared, intrigued by the body language of the former couple as they stood out on the dance floor, dancing closer and much slower than the rest of the crowd.

Brooke merely sighed, not knowing what to think. "They're just dancing, Donna," she reasoned, trying her best not to jump to conclusions.

"For now," Donna said, unable to take her eyes off the pair. "You know, if they weren't dating other people, I probably would have thought it was cute."

Brooke smiled. "It _is_ cute. They're having fun."

A little toasted herself, Donna chuckled at the expression on Hyde's face, one she could only describe as drunken bliss as he closed his eyes and danced with his date, who also happened to be his first love. Then they were lost in the crowd. "I guess."

 _Some things sure can sweep me off my feet  
Burning down the house... _

_He thought she was sexy._ It was so obvious. Jackie smiled to herself and then turned around to face Hyde, giving him a smoldering glare as she moved for his benefit. "Steven Hyde, are you flirting with me again?"

"Maybe," he said with a smile, gripping her hips tightly. "Then again, maybe not. I could just be very drunk. Guess you'll never know."

Rather than gracing Hyde with the response she suspected he was fishing for, Jackie simply took advantage of the slower tempo building inside the music and moved in closer to him, sliding her arms up and over his shoulders. Subtly pulling his head down to meet with hers, she let her fingers meander through the hair just above the nape of his neck, instantly causing his sleepy eyelids to fall closed and his arms to tighten their hold around her body. "You have a little crush on me tonight, Steven," she said, pleased with his reaction.

Hyde grinned, his eyes still closed. "Maybe I do."

Without announcing his song change, the DJ flipped to "Drive" by The Cars, replacing the faster pace of the previous song and causing the crowded dancefloor to pair up.

Jackie tightened her grip on Hyde. "You're not getting out of this one, Steven."

"I wasn't even going to try."

 _Who's going to tell you when  
It's too late  
Who's going to tell you things  
Aren't so great_

Already in slow-dance position, the two slowed their sway even more, determined to be slower than the rest of the crowd—destined to be different.

"Mm. I like this song," Jackie cooed, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder.

Hyde returned her amorous embrace. He liked the it, too; it gave him a reason to dance with her, again.

 _Who's going to pick you up  
When you fall..._

 _February 14, 1978_

 _Hyde really dug the red, frilly dress and little flower that pinned her hair up on one side; it was those little extra touches that made her stand out from the other girls. He could still remember the pride he felt that the hottest chick in the Point Place high school gym was dancing with him_ — _and was, in fact, his. But it wasn't the rest of the room he was focused on. It was her. It was the softness of her skin, the smell of her hair, the sweet hum of her voice in his ear as they swayed to the music that had him lulled into a feeling he'd never known: peace._

 _After having thought they were over, Hyde now gripped her hand, half-listening as she rambled on about balloons and streamers and decorations for the dance._

 _"...and then Fez opened the back door and like twenty of them flew out, and Mrs. Pajak yelled at him in front of everyone," she said, giggling. After a moment, she stopped her joviality and pulled back to look him in the eyes._

 _"Steven? You're being quiet." He could see the fear sweep over her face, the concern in her tone. "Are you still mad at me?"_

 _"No," he muttered softly. But he could see it in her eyes that she was still worried._

 _"I meant what I said earlier, Steven. I love you."_

 _Without a reply to give her, he simply pulled her close and continued to dance. He had no idea how to respond. Suspecting that he might love her too wasn't enough; he had to know. And at this point in their relationship, the only thing he knew for sure was that he didn't know a damn thing—except that he was actually enjoying this bullshit holiday. So, he leaned back, cupped her soft, warm cheeks and gave her a kiss, doing his best to wash away all the things said that weren't meant, hopefully leaving only the good to be remembered…_

 _You can't go on thinking nothing's wrong  
Who's going to drive you home tonight_

His eyes closed, Hyde found himself still dancing with the girl in red, the most beautiful one in the room. Fully immersed in the feeling of her against him, the heat of it building, he twisted his neck to the right, his skin grazing hers, and found her mouth, barely able to stop his momentum. His lips hovered at the corner of hers, his breath burdensome in his lungs. "Kiss me, Jackie."

Jackie backed away a little. "Steven."

"Come on, Jackie; we both want to. Just one kiss. Just to see. Aren't you curious?"

Silence was her only response as he rocked her from side to side; she had no meaningful argument to convey. He was right; she wanted to kiss him more than anything. The desire consumed her thoughts, and the curiosity challenged her will. And not helping her faltering conscience's cause one bit was the alcohol that coursed warmly through her veins, clouding her normally reasonable judgment. Right now, it was telling her that one little tiny kiss with her ex-boyfriend couldn't hurt anybody— _reasonable_ , she figured. Besides, no one would ever find out—aside from the crowd of fifteen hundred that currently flanked them on every side. More convincing though was his willing mouth, so dangerously close to hers as it began to sweep the skin of her jaw line. She knew it was only a matter of time before their lips touched, so she might as well do it on her own terms. All reasonable thoughts, Jackie told herself, all conveniently giving her permission to do _exactly_ what she'd been wanting since grade school: to kiss Steven Hyde.

Jackie turned her head slightly and signed her lips away to him with the simple act of eye contact. Hyde immediately understood and moved in to take her mouth, surprising her on contact with a rush of adrenaline that tore through her chest. His lips, so soft and warm, parted against hers, and she whimpered at the startling but sensual invasion of his tongue inside her mouth.

" _Hyde_ ," Eric shouted over the music, reluctantly interrupting. "Hey, man." His eyes nervously darted around the glittered ballroom, trying to look at anything but the intimate moment between Jackie and Hyde.

Both Jackie and Hyde looked over at him, alarmed and wide eyed.

"Forman," Hyde muttered, pausing in near fear of the judgment he assumed his friend would impose upon him. "What's up, man?"

"Dude, where were you guys?"

"Looking for you," Hyde snapped, his guilt showing as he backed away from Jackie. "...'cause you guys ditched us."

Eric smugly raised an eyebrow. "Right." Regardless of his outward display, he felt awkward on the inside and nearly forgot why he had come over in the first place. "Oh. Um, Donna sent me to find you guys and tell you that we got a table. So…"

Jackie looked at Hyde, waiting for his response— _their_ mutual response. She watched him look around nervously. "Donna?"

"Yeah, she's way over there, so… she can't see over here," Eric assured him.

"Oh," was all Hyde had to say, clearing his throat.

Eric nodded dumbly. "Yeah, OK. So, you coming?"

Hyde finally made a glance in Jackie's direction, searching her eyes for the answer. _Ditch him_ was at the top of his personal list. But her already big eyes widened and gestured toward the promised table. Hyde sighed. " _Yeah_ _,_ we're coming."

Kelso, Brooke and Donna all waited in silence at their small table. Eric had left to find Jackie and Hyde nearly five minutes before. Lost in the crowd, and apparently not concerned about being found, the two had successfully eluded the rest of the group for over an hour, minus the brief glimpse Donna and Brooke had caught of them on the dance floor. And at this point, Donna was kicking herself for not dragging them off by their ears when she had the chance.

Suddenly, Eric walked up. "Hey, I found the tipsy twins."

Jackie and Hyde approached the table behind him, joined hand in hand, grinning like two guilty Cheshire cats that swallowed two Clydesdale-sized canaries.

"Well, well," Kelso bellowed in gritty condescension, " _Jackie and Hyde_. Nice of you two to finally join us!"

"Yeah, we've been looking for you guys," Donna added, considerable less grouchy than she had been earlier. "Sit. We ordered another round of shots."

"Another?" Hyde asked.

Donna could only giggle her response.

 _Oh yeah_ , he thought, _she's hammered_ ; he and Jackie were free and clear. Not getting caught was always a highlight of any night out. He placed his hand on the small of Jackie's back and directed her to the only empty chair in sight. Once she was seated, he realized that there were no more chairs, anywhere.

Everyone was sitting around the table, except him. "Well, this sucks," he announced.

After a series of glances around the table, Jackie jumped up.

"Sit down, Steven. I'll sit on your lap." Without hesitation, Hyde sat and pulled her down with him. The table froze and seemed to turn its attention to Donna, who was oblivious to the nostalgic seating arrangement. Her only concern was the big round tray of rum and cokes that their waitress slapped down in the middle of the table.

"Wahoo!" Donna shouted. "Pay this nice girl, Eric!" And he did, instantly earning a round of thanks from his friends.

Grabbing a glass and raising it high, Donna gestured for everyone to join her. "To Kelso and Brooke!"

" _To Kelso and Brooke!"_

"Thirty-one days!" Kelso added, following with a kiss for his smiling bride to be. With a final toast, they all drank to the happy couple.

" _Thirty-one days!"_ Jackie took her drink and set it down, determined to try and distract herself from Steven thoughts, which was hard to do from his lap, especially with his arms so tenderly wrapped around her waist and her mind so dangerously focused on every detail of him.

"Oh, my god," she blurted, having a sudden non-Steven thought. "Did you guys see that ghost lady?"

" _YES!"_

* * *

One Hour Later

11:54 PM

" _Rock the Casbah" by The Clash fills the Grand Ballroom._

 _As soon as the shareef was  
Outta their hair  
The jet pilots wa-a-a-ailed..._

Bobbing his head to the music, Hyde lifted his arm slightly and strategically slammed his quarter face down on the table.

 _Clink!_

He and Kelso nodded at each other, sharing an evil grin. "Sorry, Forman," Hyde said, turning to Eric with a taunting smirk. " _Drink!_ "

Eric slurred out his displeasure. "I call Bullshit!"

Hyde shook his head. "No, man. You can't call Bullshit in Quarters. It's _Quarters_."

"Oh, well that's bullshit," Eric quipped with a silly giggle, rather proud of his own funny, before becoming depressed again. "I really suck at Quarters."

Hyde sniggered at Kelso again. Stupid Forman, that's what made it so funny. " _Drink_ ," he repeated, without an ounce of mercy in his voice. So, Eric did, swallowing down his sixth shot of Goldschlager with a queasy gulp, prompting Hyde and Kelso to scoot their chairs back a foot from the table. Hyde grimaced. "Man, you better not puke."

Kelso wore a similarly disgusted look. "Yeah, man. You're one of my oldest friends and all, but I'll ditch you in a second if you hurl."

Hyde nodded in agreement.

"I'm not going to…" Eric gagged, "...hurl."

From out of nowhere, Jackie threw herself, exhausted and dewy, onto Hyde's lap, securing her arms around his neck. "Oh my god, Donna's gone crazy," she giggled. "I can't get her off the dance floor!"

Kelso glanced around. "Hey, where's Brooke?"

"I had her stay with Donna," Jackie paused to catch her breath. "There are guys _all over_ her. I think they like her boobs in that Ginger dress! Plus, she's really trashed!"

Jackie couldn't control her giggling fit, and completely captivated by her, Hyde squeezed her body playfully as a drunken Kelso stumbled away from the table to retrieve the other two girls. Jackie looked around at the messy table. "Oh my god, did you guys finish _all_ those shots?"

"Yep," Hyde answered proudly. "Forman had six all by himself."

The music stopped, giving the DJ his opportunity to announce that the costume contest would begin in five minutes. In the meantime, he claimed he was going to "slow things down a bit." It was then that "Time after Time" by Cyndi Lauper transformed the dance floor as every couple came together to slow-dance.

 _Flashback—warm nights  
Almost left behind..._

Hyde saw trails as he glanced over at Eric and tried to focus on him, preparing to crack a joke at his woozy friend's expense. A few seconds older, and unsuccessful in his attempt to string together a coherent thought, he returned his smiling eyes to Jackie's face. "Hey, we never finished that kiss."

"Steven," Jackie chided as she looked around and took another gulp of her Margarita. "Everyone will see."

"No one's here, and it's dark." He hugged her, his eyes focused on hers, his mouth angled upward toward hers, waiting. "Jackie."

Jackie gestured toward their queasy, yet quiet, fly on the table. "Eric's _right_ there, Steven."

Hyde shifted his distorted vision back over to Eric. "Yeah, but look at him," he said, his words running together as they both watched Eric blankly stare at the beads of condensation dripping down Brooke's nearly empty Margarita glass, his flushed cheek resting on the sticky table. "Forman's gone bye bye, Jackie."

Jackie snickered at Eric, unaware that Hyde's attention was no longer on his friend, but on her, his fuzzy sight and drunken determination set exclusively on her full lips.

"Jackie."

Jackie shifted her own foggy gaze to find Hyde's glassy blue eyes staring intently into hers. At the same time, she felt his left hand slide over her ear and into her hair, gripping her head as he pulled it down toward his. All sense of time slowed, and her heart surged inside her chest, the moment his soft lips touched hers, guiding hers open.

As they kissed, Jackie found him unfamiliar, not recognizing his mouth, his tongue, like she thought she would. He felt new, and it took a moment for both of them to adjust to each other—like with a first kiss. But as they did, she noticed that his kiss had not changed at all. It was still incredible. No one had altered or tainted him over time; no girl had left her mark. A small piece of the boy Jackie Burkhart once loved still existed. He had not died in the arms of a Las Vegas stripper five years before—only fallen into a deep sleep. The thought filled her heart with hope and sent her crashing into him with everything she had, desperate to wake the rest of him up.

 _If you're lost—you can look and you will find me  
Time after time..._

All thinking ceased as the kiss deepened and turned heated, their lips moving against each other's fervently, their tongues using every opportunity to savor the taste of one another. The two kissed like lovers who had been starved of each other for five long years: ravenously, leaving them both lost in the sudden, intense fulfillment.

"God, baby," Jackie whimpered in between kisses, "I missed you so much."

As Hyde breathed his reply against her lips—his kisses building in intensity—the two were abruptly discovered.

" _Jackie!"_ Donna shouted.

"Oh, my god."

" _Oh god,_ I think I'm going to puke."

"Oh, crap."

"Alright!"

 **November 1, 1984 – 12:00 AM**

To Be Continued.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: First Time's a Charm**

* * *

 **October 31, 1984**

 **11:59 PM**

Hyde barely existed in the outside world, so lost in Jackie's affectionate kisses, her hair blanketing them, her hands holding his face, that he nearly missed her confession.

"God, baby, I missed you so much."

It hit him like a hammer to his chest. "Kiss me," he said, his mouth devouring hers. He couldn't get enough of her, enough of her kiss, her mouth, her tongue. He pulled her closer.

Jackie nodded against him, and Hyde drove his tongue deeper, kissing her with all the verve he could muster.

" _Jackie!_ " Donna shouted, her brow furrowed in what looked more like confusion than anger.

Jackie pulled away from Hyde and covered her guilty lips with four burnt-sienna-painted fingernails. "Oh, my God."

" _Oh, God,_ I think I'm going to puke," Eric divulged, sliding back from the table and dropping his head between his knees. Donna ran over to make sure he was alright as he blew his spaghetti dinner underneath the table.

"Oh, crap." Hyde jumped off his chair, taking Jackie along with him. He set her feet on a nearby chair, and the two stood back and watched in horror as spaghetti continually splattered across the floor.

"Alright!" Kelso exclaimed, his arm around Brooke as she looked on with pure repugnance. "That's awesome. Eric puked in a nightclub!" He chortled at Hyde. "Man, just imagine all the burns this is going to generate for us."

Hyde nodded, almost in awe. "I know. It's crazy. I already have like six in my head."

The bitter sounds of heaving followed by splashing sounds resonated over Cyndi Lauper's voice and elicited shared looks of disgust around the table. Brooke buried her head against Kelso's chest. "Ew. Michael. I can't listen anymore."

"Yeah, I'm thinking it's time to find a new table." Hyde picked Jackie back up, making her squeal before walking away to do just that.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Brooke called out, her voice instantly switching to 'mother' tone. "Get back here, Hyde."

"What?" he said innocently, turning around to face her. His eyes were wide, obviously not understanding the cause for the sudden reprimand, his arms still in possession of a giggling Jackie, who also seemed oblivious as she leaned in to nibble on his ear. Hyde closed his eyes, and turned his head, finding her mouth for another kiss.

Brooke stood with her arms folded. "Um, could you please get your lips off my friend and put her down?" she said, in the nicest way possible, causing Hyde to break from Jackie and smile sweetly at Brooke.

"Oh, sure." He looked at Jackie. "I've gotta put you down now."

Jackie's bottom lip jutted forward as she gave him her most adorable, boy-tested pout—which completely had its intended effect. Hyde lightly kissed her lips. "God, you're cute," he whispered, forgetting all about Brooke as he re-claimed Jackie's mouth in another deep kiss.

Brooke tapped her foot and leaned toward the pickled pair as they kissed. " _Ahem!"_

"You know, you really should listen when she does that. For a librarian, she's pretty scrappy." Disconnecting from Jackie, Hyde frowned at Kelso and then smiled weakly at Brooke, the only chick, besides Donna, who never seemed to be swayed by his charms.

"Fine." He bent at the knees and lowered Jackie until her boots met the floor, only to watch her get whisked away by Brooke.

"Huh. Too bad," Kelso said, sighing loudly as he grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat down. Hyde did the same, rolling his eyes.

" _What_ 's too bad?"

Kelso shrugged. "I really liked Jessica, that's all; she was hot. And we always got free food when she was working. It's too bad she's going to drop you like a bad habit when she finds out you've been Frenching Jackie all night."

"Man, Kelso," Hyde slurred. "Give it a rest already."

"What?" Kelso said, frowning. "I haven't said anything to you all night about Jackie."

"But you will. So, I'm telling you in advance to shut it. See, but then you won't listen; you'll forget and you'll start up again and I'll have to do this…" Hyde frogged his friend.

"Ow, man," Kelso grabbed his arm and began to rub. "Yeah, I'll probably totally deserve it, too. I never listen."

They both shared a nod.

 _Meanwhile, in the women's restroom…_

Brooke leaned into the mirror and used her middle finger to wipe away the excess lipstick that made it past her lip line. "Jackie, you know I love you, but I really think you need to think about what you're doing."

Feeling flushed, Jackie pulled off her red Mounds t-shirt—revealing the cream-colored tank top she wore underneath—and began to fix her hair. "I know," she said, staring into her own dazed eyes. "But, he's just _so_ _cute_ and _God_ , the way he kisses…" Jackie's whine turned into a frustrated whimper accompanied by a stomp, a bounce and a backwards head thrust that prompted Brooke to give her a strange look as she continued. "I remember after we broke up: I would lay in my bed and, after I finished crying, I would pray to God for one more kiss from him." She groaned. "And now I remember why. He's such a good kisser."

Brooke smiled. "I hate when they do that," she said, turning back to the mirror and re-positioning her Nancy Reagan wig, "Get ya with one kiss. Michael does that to me."

"Yeah, Michael was a good kisser, I guess. Oh God, but he was terrible at first. _You_ lucked out; he was all over the place before. It wasn't pretty." The two girls shared a laugh at Kelso's expense and moved to make their way out of the bathroom when Brooke stopped Jackie.

"Hey, before we go out there," Brooke slurred, stumbling a little against Jackie. "I just want you to remember that we've all been drinking and if Colin finds out what you're doing, it's over for you two. And you love him."

Jackie smiled and rested her head on her friend's arm. "I do, don't I. And he loves me."

"Yeah. So just promise me you'll stop kissing Hyde, 'cause don't forget, he has someone, too, and she's really nice, and I think she really loves him and…" A hiccup startled Brooke, and she paused, then pointed at Jackie "You have to stop. It's just wrong."

"It's wrong," Jackie echoed, petting Brooke's face. "Got it. I'm going to tell Steven that he has to stop kissing me."

"OK... Wait. No."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Fine, _I'll_ stop kissing _him too, then_. Nag."

Brooke smiled.

Both girls stepped out of the restroom to find Donna leaned up against the wall opposite the men's restroom. "Ew, is he still throwing up?" Jackie asked.

"No, he's fine now," Donna slurred, then sighed. "He's just cleaning himself up. Hey, what the hell was goin' on with you and... you know…" She snapped a few times. "Hyde."

Just then Eric stepped out of the restroom, smiling and fixing his Gilligan hat. "I actually found gold flakes in my teeth…you know, from the Goldschlager."

Jackie grimaced at him. " _Gross_. I hope you cleaned your mouth out after that."

Eric grinned. "Wow, Jackie, that is _exactly_ what I was about to say to Hyde."

After Jackie let out a fake, high-pitched laugh, saying "Oh, my God, Eric! You're hilarious!" and then sneered at him, rolling her eyes, all four made their way over to Hyde and Kelso's new table, where both men sat watching as the DJ continued announcing the names of the finalists in the costume contest.

"…couple number 477: Bill and Regina. Come on, Bill. Don't be shy… And finally, couple number 602: Eric and Donna." The DJ placed his hand over his eyes to block out the glare of the light above him as he stared into near darkness. "Do we have an Eric and Donna? Gilligan and Ginger?"

"Right here!" Jackie shouted, shoving Donna forward.

Donna's face lit up, excited at the prospect of winning the $500 Grand prize. She grabbed Eric's hand and they both ran up on stage, followed quickly by Kelso and Brooke, who ran to the front to cheer them on. Jackie and Hyde, on the other hand, casually stayed back for two entirely different reasons.

Collecting her thoughts, Jackie leaned against the edge of the group's new table when Hyde walked over. The light of the stage against the darkness of the ballroom allowed her to only see his silhouette as he stood before her. "Hey," he said, moving in close, regaining contact with her as he gently took hold of her hips.

"Steven, I think we need to talk about what happened." Jackie moved her head to the side as Hyde leaned in to kiss her, sending his lips instead down a path from her cheek to her ear. "Steven, I have a…" The sudden feeling of his tongue, hot and wet, passing just under her ear forced in a startled breath. "Oh, God, we really should…talk about…" Instinctively, her eyes closed. Her own body seemed unwilling to assist her in denying him; he had always known where to touch her, where to kiss her body, and exactly _when_ to do it. "What happened at the other table…"

"Shh," preceded a thick kiss against her ear, followed by his soft groan. "I like what happened," he whispered. "I think we should make it happen again."

Jackie reflexively swallowed down her nerves as they collected in her throat, deeply entranced by the feeling of his hot breath on her ear and his hands as they pulled her body against his. Every inhale brought her chest into contact with his, stimulating her nipples to harden beneath the thin material of her tank top. "This can only turn out bad, Ste... Oh, God." Her head fell back as his tongue flattened against her neck and slid upward. As his mouth moved closer to hers, Jackie caved—just like he wanted. "Oh, Screw it. Come here," she ordered as she grabbed his face and crushed her lips hard against his, their mouths opening wide for the deeper contact. Jackie moaned as his tongue sensually stroked hers.

"God, Jackie."

"Oh, Steven..."

As Jackie and Hyde made out on one side of the ballroom, Eric and Donna prepared to jump for joy on the other. "And the grand prize goes to… Bill and Regina!"

"Boo!" Kelso yelled as everyone else cheered. "Boo!"

On the other side of the room, Hyde removed his lips from Jackie's to focus on the soft skin near her ear. "Let's go somewhere."

"Why?" she breathed out, her eyes still closed, barely registering much more than the feeling of her earlobe being nipped and nibbled.

"So, we can be alone," he answered. "They're going to be back soon."

"Crap!"

Wide-eyed, Hyde straightened up to look at her. "What?"

"Go!" Jackie immediately shoved him away. "They're back!"

"Oh." Hyde stumbled back into a nearby chair and cupped his palms underneath his chin, his elbows on the table—a guiltier sight he could not make. "Hey," he said, grinning as his four friends walked up. "So, where'd you guys go?"

Eric made a face, sharing it one by one with his three companions. "Uh, up on the big, hundred-foot stage with the gigantic thousand-watt lights beaming down on it."

"Oh." Hyde's guilty grin grew. "Cool..."

* * *

Thirty-Six Minutes Later

The gang was seated at their table—Brooke on Kelso's lap and, next to them, clockwise around the table, Hyde, Donna, Eric, and Jackie—all drinking, talking, and laughing as "Rock This Town" by the Stray Cats was thrown into rotation by the club's DJ.

 _Well, my baby and me  
Went out late Saturday night…_

"Oh my God!" Jackie jumped out of her seat and ran around the table to Hyde. "Dance with me!"

"Uh..." Hyde looked up at her. "No." He didn't dance, not to this crap.

"Steven, you're my date!" Her temporary, and probably fake, frown turned back into pure excitement. "Fez and I took swing lessons a few years ago, and I never _ever_ get to use them!"

Hyde beamed at her with feigned excitement. "Oh, my God! Really? _"_ _H_ is face fell. "No."

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Fine. I'll go find somebody who will," she bit back snidely before practically skipping off onto the dance floor.

Hyde made a point to scoff loudly for the others to see. "Like I care." He sat idly by while his date easily found herself another dance partner. The guy she chose seemed more than happy to appease the beautiful brunette begging for a few minutes of his time.

As Hyde glared at the two from his seat, Eric ordered another bucket o' beer.

The waitress nodded. "No more shots?"

"No, I think we're good," Eric said, laughing nervously as he looked around at his friends—his extremely unsupportive friends.

"Why don't you tell her why you don't want any more shots, Mr. Chuck! First name, Up." Kelso yelled across the table and stuck out his tongue. "I'm sure she'd like to know!"

"Man, shut-up Kelso!" Eric unimaginatively retorted. "You…You suck."

At the edge of the table, Hyde sat oblivious to the confrontation. "What the hell is she doing?" Glowering, he stared down Jackie and her new friend, scowling as they laughed and danced. "Man, she doesn't even know that guy. I'll bet Colin wouldn't like that too much."

Eric made a face. "Yeah, Hyde. 'Cause _that's_ what would bother Colin about tonight. The swing-dancing. Not the fact that your tongue was halfway down her throat less than an hour ago."

"Shut up." Hyde sulked in his chair as each couple got up to join Jackie on the dance floor, finally leaving the him hell alone. His drunk fiesta was turning into a complete downer, and he knew exactly why. She had taken her attention away, and her lips, and now he was stuck in a fog, choking on the past that she had carelessly kicked up, that they had kicked up together...

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

" _Eyes Without a Face" by Billy Idol echoes through the Grand Ballroom._

 _I'm all out of hope  
One more bad dream  
Could bring a fall..._

Hyde sat alone at the table with Eric's bucket o' beer all to himself. No one had yet returned from the dance floor, but he didn't mind; it gave him a moment alone to think about what the hell he was doing. He had actually found himself jealous of the guy dancing with Jackie. And it wasn't a mild jealousy. It was a burning, wanting to bash the skinny fuck's face in, type of jealousy. He spent ten minutes watching him get grabby with her hips, watching him stroke her sides as he whispered in her ear, making her giggle. It was bugging the hell out of him, and he couldn't figure out why.

Hyde took another swig of his beer as he stared down at the peeled-off labels of bottles gone by and tried to think of his own girl. But her face was blurry in his mind, and he struggled to see it, figuring her image might snap him out of his own stupidity. Drunk and desperate, Hyde closed his eyes to look for her. To his relief, an image appeared. She was giving him an incredible smile as he hovered over her under the covers, giggling at something he had said, her strawberry blond hair spread over his pillow like wildfire…

" _Baby, we can't stay in bed all day," she had said softly, her words cut off by his lips as they covered hers for the millionth time that August afternoon._

 _Kissing the corner of her mouth as it turned up to smile again, Hyde followed a trail of kisses down to her neck. "Why not?"_

" _Because it's three in the afternoon. Isn't it supposed to be wrong to be in bed this late?"_

 _Hyde propped himself up to answer her. "Well, I heard that there's a special exception when there's a really hot chick in your bed."_

" _Ohhh, see I didn't know that." She then smiled so brightly that he couldn't help but smile back. "I love you," she had whispered._

 _Hyde drew in a deep breath. He was really beginning to hate those words._

 _Upon his silence, he watched the usual disappointment sadden her chestnut-brown eyes and wondered why she always did this to herself. He never returned the sentiment, not that he didn't want to; he just wasn't there yet. Instead, he did that day what he always did: kissed her sadness away until the next time…_

"Steven! So, you're just going to be a bum and sit here all night?" Jackie asked, plopping down next to him.

Hyde kept his head down; looking at her only clouded his mind. "Looks like it," he said.

Her tone softened. "Oh, what's the matter? Are you tired?"

Hyde was a little surprised; she knew him better than he thought. "Yeah," he sighed. "I got up early this morning."

"Poor baby. Well, I bet you'd wake up if you danced with me," she said, her face hopeful.

"Jackie, I said no. I don't want to dance. Why don't you just go dance with your little friend?"

"Because I'd rather dance with you." Jackie gave him a small pout. "Please. _Dance with me_ _."_

Hyde looked at her, stunned. How the hell did she do that? Those words had come out of her mouth like pure sex, making his heart race and the air liquefy as it entered his lungs. He was about to plant a drunken kiss on her lips when Brooke ran up, nearly in tears.

"Hyde, you've gotta help me!"

He looked up. "What's going on?"

"Michael's about to get into a fight. Some guy grabbed my butt, and Michael's drunk, and there's three of them, and he won't let it go. He's _so_ angry, Hyde. _Please."_

As Hyde stood, Jackie pushed him in the direction Brooke was pointing, where a gathering crowd was already forming. "Steven, go."

"Crap. Why can't we ever go out without getting into a fight?" he shouted, throwing his watch down on the table. "I always get hit when I'm drunk! And I don't like gettin' hit!"

Jackie shoved him again. "Stop complaining and just go help Michael!"

"Dammit. Grab all your crap, find Forman and Donna, and wait by that exit right there. Hold my watch."

Jackie and Brooke did what he said, finding Eric and Donna quickly; and together, they all waited by the exit. It was only a few minutes later that Hyde and Kelso walked up, a little beaten but smiling.

"We need to leave," Hyde informed them.

Brooke swept her thumb over Kelso's bloody lip. "Baby, why did you do that?"

"I was defending your honor," he replied simply.

She smiled sadly and kissed his cheek. "Aw, well, thank you."

"Hey, I defended your honor, too," Hyde said, frowning. "Don't I get a kiss?"

Laughing, Brooke rolled her eyes. "Come here. Thank you," she said, giving Hyde a kiss on the cheek and leaving him with a satisfied smile.

"You're welcome. Now let's get the hell out of here..."

* * *

Several Minutes Later

Opening a door at the end of a long hallway, the gang found themselves in the Atrium level bar: back where they had begun their journey. An exit led them down a ramp and outside to where the earth seemed under water. It was pouring, and all six friends stood underneath a small awning, taking in the Chicago landscape through a billion thick raindrops.

"So, who's going to get the van?" Kelso yelled over the deafening downpour.

A pentagon of raised eyebrows stared back at him until Eric's slurred words slipped through the thundering noise. "You are. It's your van."

"Yeah, but I'm too drunk to drive, _Eric._ Whoever's driving us home should have to go get the van," Kelso reasoned. Then he waited, assuming hands would eagerly fly up to drive them all home. But none did. "So, come on, who's driving us home?"

"Not me."

"Not me."

"Not me."

"No way, man."

Hyde was too busy staring at a puddle collecting below his feet to answer. "Hyde?"

"Huh?"

Kelso studied his friend's unsteady stance and blank face. "Do you think you can drive, man?"

"Kelso, I don't think I could walk over to that pole right there," Hyde said, pointing to a small anchoring pole a few feet away.

"Well, what the hell? What's the rest of your excuses?" Kelso angrily asked the remaining four.

"I'm the mother of your children, and I'm not driving, Michael."

"Fine," Kelso turned angrily to Eric. " _Eric?"_

"Man, I can barely… _talk_ …how the hell…"

Kelso moved on. " _Donna!"_

"I'm trashed."

" _Jackie!"_

"I just don't want to."

Kelso scowled at her.

"Oh, and I'm trashed," Jackie added with a giggle. Feeling good, she turned happily to Hyde and for the first time noticed the deep red gash along his cheekbone. "Steven, you got cut."

"No, I got hit. There's a big difference," he replied, as Jackie reached up and smoothed her thumb around the outside perimeter of his wound, sticking out her bottom lip in sympathy.

"You poor baby." She lifted onto her tippy-toes, pulling his head down to gently kiss the clean skin just below his cut, succeeding in making his eyes close as he leaned into her lips. "You're so brave," she whispered, kissing just little lower, and lower…until their lips were moving together in a slow, measured kiss.

The rest of the gang exchanged uneasy glances.

"Michael," Brooke said, "go get the van; we're staying in a hotel. Oh, and take Hyde with you."

"Come on, Hyde." Kelso, rolling his swollen eyes, yanked Hyde away. "We have to get the van." Hyde followed, his eyes still on his ex-girlfriend as he and Kelso disappeared into the rain.

* * *

The Chicago Hilton

Room 418

Kelso walked into the plush room first, groaning his approval as he threw himself onto the double bed closest to the door. "Ahhh! This is so much better than the Motel 6!"

Hyde followed, collapsing over both pillows of the same bed. "You're welcome."

"Thank you, Hyde," everyone murmured.

"So how are we splitting up the rooms? Boys and girls?" Brooke asked, sitting down at a small table next to the bed.

Kelso shot up and grabbed her, pulling her down onto the bed with him. "No, mama, you're sleeping with me," he said, leaving growling kisses against her neck and making her smile.

"I don't care what we do, I just want to sleep," Hyde grumbled, pulling a pillow over his head.

Donna rolled her eyes and walked over to him. "Why don't you just give me the key to the other room? Eric and Jackie and I will sleep in there. You three take this one."

Tossing her the keys, Hyde hopped off the first bed and moved to the other one near the bathroom. He lay down and, as he watched Jackie leave with Eric and Donna, he found himself disappointed that she didn't even glance in his direction. Staring at the stained, and seemingly swirling, ceiling above his head, Hyde mulled over the night's events. It had been a strange eight hours, and he couldn't even remember the point at which his mind had crossed over to this drunken world where Jackie reigned supreme.

Hyde rubbed his face with his palms and looked over to find Kelso and Brooke fast asleep in each other's arms, their clothes wet from the rain, their bodies above the covers. He suddenly wished Jackie had stayed; even though he knew it was a terrible idea. He wanted someone to lie with, too. Looking around the room, his eyes passed over the clock: 2:37 am.

"Crap."

Pushing all thoughts of Jackie aside, Hyde grabbed the hotel phone and dialed Point Place. She picked up on the third ring. "Hey, were you sleeping?... Sorry, babe… It was pretty cool… No, I'm still in Chicago. I just wanted to let you know that we're staying the night out here…" Hyde laughed. "Yeah, can't you tell… Oh, man, everything, tequila, beer, Jack… A lot … Pretty fucked up… Uh, Forman, Donna, Kelso, Brooke and uh, Jackie." Hyde swallowed hard, praying he could manage his own guilt. "Yep… Nope… Yep… A hotel room… Kelso and Brooke… In another room with Eric and Donna. What's with the twenty questions…"

To Hyde's disbelief, Jackie stepped into the room as Jessica was talking in his ear. He brought his index finger to his lips, and Jackie simply nodded as she sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Yeah, probably sometime in the afternoon… Why don't you just tell me now… What's so important that you can't tell me over the phone… Fine, whatever… I'm not… OK… I know you do, Jess… OK… Bye."

Jackie smiled as Hyde hung up. "They fell asleep quick," she said, motioning toward Kelso and Brooke.

Hyde didn't bother looking; he just wanted her to leave. Her presence only made him stupid, and it took a brief conversation with his girlfriend to make him realize it. "Yeah. So, what's up? Why'd you come back?"

"Donna's throwing up. Eric's in there with her. The noises were grossing me out. So, I grabbed the keys to this room and left."

"So, what, you want to trade?"

"Well… I was kind of hoping to just sleep with Brooke. But…" She gave a frustrated sigh in the direction of the sleeping couple and stood up. "Hey, Steven, give me a hand." Jackie tugged and pulled at the blankets beneath her best friend and her first boyfriend, having a hard time as the two grumbled and squirmed. "Help me cover them. It's chilly out tonight, and Michael gets cold easily."

Hyde helped her, and it wasn't long before the engaged pair was buried and snuggled up beneath the covers with Kelso smiling up at his two friends. "I love you guys."

"Yeah, yeah. Go to sleep, man. You're driving us home tomorrow."

"Okay."

Jackie turned to smile at Hyde, but instantly frowned the moment she saw his face. "Come here, Steven." She walked around the bed and grabbed his hand, leading him into the bathroom. "Sit," she ordered, pointing at the sink.

"Why?"

"Sit down. I'm going to clean up your face."

Hyde hesitated, but when she raised her eyebrows at him, he sighed and hopped up on the counter. "You don't have to."

"I want to. Now, sit still." Jackie grabbed a clean washcloth from the towel rack and ran it under warm water. She placed it on his cut and winced when he did.

"Ow."

"Sorry," she said as she dabbed carefully.

Hyde closed his eyes as she cleaned the rest of his face, now warm from the cloth. He could smell her sweet scent and feel her soft presence across his skin. Then he heard a series of clicks and opened his eyes, looking down at the source of the sound. "Jackie, take off your boots. You look uncomfortable."

"I am uncomfortable, but I look good." Jackie stared at him for a moment. "Fine." She turned around and leaned her back up against him for support as she unzipped her boots and pulled them off one by one. Hyde sat behind her and watched her drop three inches in height.

He chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked as she spun back around.

Unable to take his eyes off her, he touched her face. "You're cute."

Jackie gave him a playful glare and stepped away from him. "Alright, Casanova, you're all cleaned up."

He wanted to say 'whatever' at her dismissal, but it was lost on him tonight, his Zen. Whatever that meant. He wasn't sure anymore. All he knew were three things—he was tired, he was drunk, and he wanted to undress his ex-girlfriend and do dirty stuff to her. As she walked out of the bathroom, her legs fully exposed to him, Hyde had to control his impulses, because they were not hers, and he had to accept that. She had stopped him twice tonight, and damn it… _Jessica_. Why did he keep forgetting about her? Up until tonight, he had convinced himself that he was falling in love with her, but one drunken night out, and he could barely keep his dick in his pants. It had to be a bad sign.

Returning from his thoughts, Hyde suddenly wondered where Jackie had tip-toed off to. "Hey," he whispered as he jumped off the counter and walked out into the dark hotel room. "Jackie?"

"Turn out the bathroom light," he heard her whisper. "It's too bright." Going back, he flipped the bathroom switch, then made his way through the dark to the foot of his bed, where he guessed she lay.

"Well," he said. "I guess I'll head to the other room now."

"No, Steven, Donna's sick. You can sleep here. It'll be fine. We used to do it all the time, remember?"

To Hyde's ears she sounded so young and innocent. In the dark, she was the same girl he remembered, which made this dangerous. "Yeah, Jackie, I don't think that's going to work this time."

"Don't worry. I just want to sleep, Steven. I'm really tired, and all the alcohol has my head spinning."

"Yeah, me, too." Hyde started to climb onto the bed when he suddenly stopped. "I can't Jackie. My clothes are soaked, and I can't sleep with them on. I'm just going to go to the other room."

"No, no. It's OK. I'll stay on my side. You have boxers on, right?"

"Yeah."

"OK, then, see. Just…come on. We'll be fine." Hyde stood up and pulled his t-shirt off, dropping it on the floor, and peeled the wet pants off his legs, leaving him dressed in boxers and a thermal undershirt. Dropping a knee onto the bed, Hyde slowly slid into the bed like he was sliding into third base, making Jackie giggle.

"It's like a slumber party," she said.

"Great." As he hesitantly slipped under the covers next to Jackie, Hyde wondered if people typically wanted to nail her at her slumber parties, because if so, then, she was right, this was exactly like one. With that, he rolled away from her and inched toward the very edge of the bed, determined to go to sleep as quickly as possible.

"Hey, Steven, do you remember that time when Mr. and Mrs. Forman caught us sleeping in your bed, and Eric was..."

"Jackie," Hyde interrupted. "No more talking. Go to sleep."

"Okay." A minute went by. "Hey Steven?"

Hyde sighed. "What?"

"Do you remember the game we used to play when we couldn't sleep?" she asked.

"Yes."

"You want to play? I can't sleep."

"You haven't even tried, Jackie."

"Yes, I have. Now, come on, Steven. Roll over."

Hyde groaned, but rolled over nonetheless. "Dammit. You better fall asleep after this." He _needed_ her to sleep—he wasn't sure how much longer he could resist climbing over to her side of the bed and feeling his way up her skirt, again. He could practically taste her on his tongue as he settled in, propping his head up with his arm. "Just a few minutes, and then we go to sleep."

Jackie squealed quietly, still mindful of the occupied bed on the other side of the room. "Okay! Um, OK, I got one. The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin?"

He thought about it. "Huh. You got better at this. Um, Zeppelin," Hyde answered. "No, wait. The Stones."

Jackie wiggled. "See, isn't this fun? Now, it's your turn," she said, patting him on the chest.

Hyde let out a long sigh. "Um… Uh… lip gloss or nail polish?" he submitted with zero enthusiasm.

"Oh, my God. Well, I don't know."

"Just pick one."

"Hm." Clicking her tongue, Jackie pondered over her choices. "Well, I guess...Wait, can I still have clear nail polish?"

"No."

"Oh. Then I'd have to choose lip gloss, and I would just have to wear gloves forever, and oh god, never wear open-toed shoes again. How awful. Okay, it's my turn... Kissing me _then_ or kissing me _now_. Although, I'm sure they're _both_ amazing, you can only to pick one."

Hyde gulped, his breath labored beneath his response. "Jackie, maybe I should go."

"Just answer me," she said so softly. "I want to know."

He was rocking unsteadily on the edge. "Now," he answered, fighting the urge to reach out, to pull her close and put them both out of this misery. "Now or then, Jackie?"

In the dark, the sounds of their heavy respirations grew thunderous, and it was only intensifying.

"Come on," he said. "I want to know."

"Now." Before Jackie could process the word that so heatedly came out of her own mouth, Hyde grabbed her waist and yanked her body toward him, pausing when they reached each other. Jackie closed her eyes, lost in the familiar feeling. This room could have so easily been the basement; the bed could have so easily been his old cot, and tonight, he was the same. And so was she.

Hyde groaned. "I want you so bad, Jackie." She could hear him struggling for breath as he choked out his words, as the air beneath the blankets grew incredibly warm. "I need to get out of here."

Instinctively, her fingers found the curls at the nape of his neck. The nurturing side of her wanted to comfort his obvious torment; for it was hers, too. She struggled for her own breath and fought against her own body as it seemed to betray her, gravitating ever-so-slowly toward his.

"I think you should go, too," she whispered. A whimper fell from her lips as her fingers tightened their grip on his hair, and before she knew it, the sheet rocketed toward the ceiling, replaced immediately by Hyde's body before settling back down in a cool wind.

Jackie gasped at the suddenness, at the tingle of his mouth on her neck, but raised her knees in response as he settled so naturally between her thighs. "Steven," she panted. Unable to see his face—her eyes still unadjusted to the dark—she could only feel his hot breath moving across her cheek as he spoke, his weight heavy against her. "Steven, this is so wrong."

"Do you remember when we broke up that last time?" he asked, his voice gravelly yet soft.

"Yes," she replied, almost absentmindedly. His hips felt so good between her legs that Jackie released every thought—except the one that told her to let him inside—and began to gently move her own.

His entire body engulfed hers, pinning her to the bed with nearly all his weight as he pushed back against her and whispered into her ear. "I wished for one more night with you."

"Oh, Steven…" Ending his struggle, she found his mouth in the dark...

* * *

 _August 19, 1977_

 _It felt to have her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him as he walked them both into his room. His arms held her torso securely and squeezed her tighter with each kiss that she placed on his neck; the moans emanating from deep inside his chest told her that she was making him feel good, too. It was only a moment later that she felt herself gently fall backwards as he laid her down on the little basement bed. She giggled while she watched him run back to shut and lock his door._

 _Returning as quickly as he left, Hyde climbed over her._ " _What are you laughing at?" he growled against the ticklish bend of her neck._

" _You," she said, giggling again before turning rather serious. She reached up to smooth her hands over his coarse beard, watching his eyes smile down at her; she had melted beneath him at the sight. "You're cute," she said._

 _He frowned at her response. "Cute?"_

" _HOT," she said, fluttering her eyes upwards to accentuate her point._

 _Hyde grinned down at her now. "Yeah, I like that better," he said, before giving a deep kiss so intense, so passionate, that her belly churned with butterflies. Her knotted summer blouse was the first article of clothing to come off, followed by his t-shirt. And as they kissed, his hands began to roam the way they always did during their many make-out sessions that summer. But this time was different, things were becoming more heated and his fingers were heading farther south toward the zipper of her pants. The feeling of his hand—still cold from their tryst by the fridge—now touching the delicate flesh beneath her panties caused her to gasp. "Steven."_

 _Hyde stopped and pulled away to look at her, his eyes glassy with desire. "What's wrong?"_

 _She watched his face as he registered the reason for her concern. Sighing loudly, he dropped his head on her shoulder. "Come on, Jackie. We don't have to go all the way. I just..." In her ear came a deep sigh of frustration followed by several kisses. "...want to feel you. We've been making out for two months."_

" _I want to feel you, too. Steven; I want to go all the way."_

 _Hyde's head popped up. "You do?"_

" _Yes," she answered, pulling him back down for another kiss. "I do…"_

* * *

1984

"Oh, Steven."

Her words had tickled his lips. They came just as his hand, resting flat on her stomach, made its way up her ribs and cupped her bare breast. As he squeezed, Jackie, her breath coming in deep, frustrated-sounded heaves, tried to whip down the covers.

"No," Hyde said, stopping her. "They'll see."

"It's hot."

"You're hot," Hyde groaned, kissing her neck as he finally got her top above her breasts, his hands eagerly rubbing over every inch of exposed skin. But through his fog, he could see that she was struggling for air. "Here," he said, lifting the covers on the side facing away from the other bed, instantly bringing Jackie back to life. She moaned as the cool air hit them and pulled off her tank top.

"Kiss me, Steven," she demanded.

Abandoning her mouth only to pull off his own shirt, Hyde slipped an arm beneath her waist and groaned at the feeling of skin finally meeting skin. Propping himself up, he lowered the zipper of her skirt and yanked the sinful thing off her legs…

* * *

 _1977_

" _Are you okay?" Hyde asked, searching Jackie's mismatched eyes for the answer. There was nervousness there, and her lips were rubbing fretfully together. She was naked now, under his covers, but he was still in his boxers. It was the furthest they had ever gone. "Do you want me to stop?"_

" _No," she answered, her tone muted. "I'm just nervous. I've never been with anybody besides Michael. But I want you to be my second, Steven."_

 _Hyde stared down at her. He was pretty positive that "second" was the best he was ever going to get or had ever gotten before. He wasn't exactly hanging around with virgins, and Jackie was probably as close as he would ever come. In fact, she appeared so innocent and troubled that that's how he chose to treat the situation—like her first time. "I'll go slow."_

" _Okay. Do you think, maybe," she swallowed before her eyes fell away from him, "…never mind."_

" _What?"_

" _Well," she said after a moment, "I had always dreamed that my first time would have candles and music and a banner but instead, Michael and I just did it real fast 'cause my parents were coming home. It was... disappointing."_

 _Hyde forgot to be "first-time supportive guy" and quickly reverted back to being himself. "Yeah, that's not going to happen. First of all, I don't like candles and second, I'm not doing it to music. I think that might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard." He scoffed at the thought and then watched displeasure flash over Jackie's face, her eyes flicking away from him. "Fine," she said. "Let's just do it."_

 _They hadn't even done it yet, and she was already disappointed._

 _Hyde sighed, feeling like the dirt bag he knew he was. "Jackie," he said, dropping his forehead to her shoulder, "I didn't…Crap. I don't have candles, or a… freakin' banner," he said through clenched teeth._

 _To his surprise, Jackie giggled and reached up to comb her fingers through his beard. "I don't need everything, Steven. Can we just have one?"_

" _I don't know what…I mean," Hyde shut his eyes. His dick was stiff and aching as it pressed against her bare flesh, and he wanted to do whatever the hell would make her happy. "Crap, okay." He slipped out from underneath the covers and quickly flipped through his record collection, getting more and more frustrated with each one, pissed at his own excellent taste in music. "Damn it."_

 _Jackie giggled at his frustration and at the extremity that pointed right at her through his boxers, practically ordering her still. "Hurry, Steven."_

" _Oh. Okay, I got it." He threw a record on and returned back to his cot, climbing under the covers with her. "The Stones," he said as the gentle strings of a guitar began to thrum. "It's all I've got that won't scare you."_

 _Childhood living  
Is easy to do  
The things that you wanted  
I bought them for you..._

 _Jackie smiled. "I love it, Steven."_

" _Shh, no more talking," he whispered. Laying a gentle kiss on her lips, Hyde quickly removed his boxers and settled back in between her thighs. He couldn't help but notice how nervous she looked. "You're sure, Jackie?"_

 _She nodded. "I'm sure." The anxiety never left her eyes but instead became more intense as he lined himself up to enter her. He kept their eyes locked as he slowly sunk into her, needing three slow thrusts to become fully buried. He watched Jackie's eyes softly close and as her head fell back, Hyde silently wished he had been her first…_

 _Wild horses  
Couldn't drag me away..._

* * *

1984

Jackie looked up at Hyde, surprised by her own nervousness; they hadn't been this intimate in over five years, not to mention she was cheating on the man who promised to one day marry her. Thoughts of Colin didn't stay long, though, driven away by a past that so desperately wanted reprieve.

Her eyelids lay closed as her skin soaked in the feeling of his skin, his arms and hands, his lips, so intoxicating as he leaned down and opened his mouth over hers. They were connected, joined in every way but one, and it seemed all that mattered in the moment.

"Now, Steven," she whispered, and he slowly pushed inside her, her lips parting at the full feeling of him.

"Fuck, I missed you," he whispered, his weight falling on her, moving ever-so-slightly inside her, until he propped himself up. They were still for a moment as they stared at each other in the near blackness, both bitterly aware that they had just ruined everything they had for this feeling.

Jackie slipped her arms up around Hyde's neck and pulled him down, needing to hold him. She wanted to smile, having fantasized about this moment so many times—just one more with him. "Ohhh, you feel good." She gripped him tightly with every limb, enveloping him to make the closest possible physical connection as he began to rock his hips again...

* * *

 _1977_

 _Jackie's soft, sweet whimpering nearly sent Hyde over the edge, sooner than he had hoped. Slowing down, he moved to kiss her deeply, but the feeling of her tongue alone almost made him come. So, he pulled out of her and began to feverishly kiss her chest, making her whimper again the instant he pressed several fingers against her slippery, velvety-soft sex, circling and rubbing, harder and harder. "God, Steven. Come back."_

" _Hold on," he said, his mouth focusing on her breasts, slick with fresh sweat that he had so enthusiastically generated. "Damn, Jackie, you're going to make me come too fast," he groaned._

" _Just come here," she demanded, exhausted and out of breath, "I don't care. I just want you inside me. God, Steven. Come here!" she yelled._

 _Hyde complied and grunted as he thrust back inside her, almost forcefully, causing her head to fall back in satisfaction, her brunette locks splayed wildly across his Spiderman pillowcase. "Fuck, Jackie. I'm going to come."_

" _Harder, Steven," she pleaded, pulling his head down for a kiss. "Harder."_

 _His pace hastened until he was virtually slamming into her, delirious as Jackie vigorously sucked on his tongue, hopefully coming beneath him, because the moment a vulgarity flew from her innocent mouth, Hyde lost his battle…_

* * *

1984

Taking his time, Hyde rolled Jackie over onto her belly and began to lay leisurely, drifting kisses up the long length of her spine, starting with the small of her back. The fear of being discovered had forced them to go slowly, taking their time with every movement. His elbows resting on the bed, Hyde slipped both hands underneath her chest to cup her breasts as his lips and tongue carved a path toward her neck. Sweeping her long locks aside, he laid tender kisses just below her hairline, making her giggle and making him smile. "You're still ticklish here," he whispered.

She giggled again, wiggling beneath him. "Steven."

"Shh, we're going to wake them," he whispered as he brushed his lips over her shoulder blade, finishing with a thick, wet kiss.

Below him, Jackie tucked her hands beneath her cheek. "It feels like we're kids again, scared of getting caught by the Formans."

Hyde smiled. "Yeah, well, I'm not scared of Kelso; Donna and Brooke maybe."

Jackie's giggling turned to a soft moan when Hyde spread her thighs apart, aligning himself against her. Her hips rose to meet him, and just as he was about to sink back inside, Jackie rolled over.

"Wait. I want to see you," she said. "Your face." Fitting him back between her thighs, Jackie cupped her hands over his jaw line as her thumb passed deliberately over his chin and lips, and then as her index finger swept down the bridge of his nose. "God, Steven. I used to be so in love with you," she whispered.

"Me, too..."

* * *

 _1977_

 _Hyde collapsed beside Jackie, both of them exhausted and satisfied. With her only remaining energy, Jackie rolled over and straddled him, leaving lazy afternoon kisses over every inch of his chest. "Mm, Steven. That was nice. I think I want to do it again," she teased, staring up at him through her lashes, her tongue lightly dragging over his skin. "And again," she added with a smooch._

" _Just give me a sec. I'll be right there."_

 _Suddenly curious, Jackie tucked her hands beneath her chin and looked up at him. "Steven, how many girls have you slept with?"_

 _Hyde frowned. This type of questioning never turned out well for him. "Some," he said, warily._

" _But how many?" she pressed._

" _Jackie."_

" _A lot?"_

" _Some."_

" _More than five?"_

 _He hesitated. "Yes."_

" _Less than ten?"_

" _Way less."_

 _Jackie considered that for a moment. "I've only ever been with Michael," she said, pouting, then asked, "Is it better with girls who have more experience?"_

 _Sighing, Hyde sat up, bringing her with him, and cupped her face in his hands. "More experience doesn't mean better, Jackie." Then his expression softened. "You were perfect." He gave her a small kiss that quickly led to a deeper one as they both laid back and took advantage of the long summer afternoon…_

* * *

1984

Beneath flowery Hilton Hotel covers, he sealed his mouth over hers, muffling her cries, as he pumped in and out of her. Maybe it was the wrongness of their union, or the risk of getting caught, or maybe it was the news that he had loved her after all, but Jackie had never come so hard.

"Yes, Steven. Harder," she whimpered into his mouth as he kissed her. "Harder."

Hyde hushed her. "I'm going to come, Jackie. I need to pull out."

"No," she whined. "I'm on the pill. Harder."

He gave Jackie several forceful thrusts as her orgasm peaked, and when her body weakened, high on the endorphins, Hyde planted himself deep and grunted, his hips jerking wildly.

" _Fuck...Fuck, Jackie_ ," he whispered against her lips.

Delighting in his pleasure, holding him until he finished coming, Jackie gave him a little kiss, then nudged him to the side, watching him collapse in exhaustion beside her.

Silence prevailed as Jackie rolled to her side against him, naked as a Jaybird, for neither knew what to say.

It was a few minutes later that Hyde kissed her forehead. "I think I should go sleep in the other room."

Jackie nodded. Their minds cleared of lust, reality settled in. The two of them in a single bed, added with their guilty affects, would most certainly stir up trouble. They had already been stirring it up all night and the last thing they needed was four extra helping hands. "Yeah. I think that's probably a good idea." She found her clothes and put them on as Hyde dressed and gathered his things. He was heading for the door when Jackie called out to him in a whisper. "Hey, Steven?"

Hyde returned to the bed. "Yeah?"

"C'mere," she said, persuading him to lean down with a wave of her hand. She couldn't let him go, not without settling one last issue. There was no way she was going to deny herself of this, this thing that some skank from Vegas had taken from her five years before.

As Hyde placed a knee on the bed, Jackie grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. Conveying every emotion ever felt for this boy, she slid her tongue inside his mouth and amorously connected with his, her lips guiding his in tender, pressing strokes. He caught on quickly—sensing exactly what it was she needed—and responded in kind; maybe he needed it, too. His fingers glided through her hair to cup her head and pulled her nearer with one shared understanding: this had to be their last. It had to end here.

Mercifully, he pulled away and said not a word as he briskly walked out the door.

"Bye, Steven," Jackie whispered.

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

Thursday, November 1, 1984.

11:47 AM

The Chicago Hilton

Room 420

Steven Hyde opened one eye and groaned. Looking around, he found himself in a plush bed, in a plush room—he peered out the window—with a view of Lake Michigan. Beside him was another bed just like his, and it was occupied. The image of long red hair on one pillow and Forman's swollen face on the other made him sigh with relief.

Sitting upright, Hyde nearly screamed from pain as he grabbed his pounding head. "Damn." He squinted at the clock. It was almost noon, probably near check-out time, so he made a mental note to call the front desk soon.

Lying back down, he went over the events of the night before. Everything seemed to get a little fuzzy around "Thriller" and a bunch of dumbass zombies. Then Hyde groaned, placing his palms regretfully over his eyes.

 _Jackie_ _._

 _Crap._

What the hell did he do?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Separate Ways**

* * *

 **November 1, 1984**

 **11:31 AM**

"Jackie! Jackie, wake up!"

Jackie opened her eyes and grumbled, shoving back the source of her irritation and pulling the flowery, brown comforter over her head. "Go away, Michael!"

"God, Jackie. You know, you were _never_ very pleasant in the morning," Kelso said, storming away.

"Shut-UP, Michael." Jackie could hear the idle chatter between Kelso and Brooke and tried her best to ignore it. Shoving the pillow over her ear, she closed her eyes…and then it hit her. Jackie sat up. "Oh, my God."

Brooke looked over. "What's wrong?"

"Steven," Jackie mumbled, sucking in a shuttering breath. "I…I…"

Brooke cringed. "Yeah, are you alright? I was wondering if you were going to remember that."

Jackie looked around the room and re-traced her steps from the night before. She had come in, tucked in her friends, cleaned up Hyde's cut and then—Jackie closed her eyes painfully—let him penetrate her over and over…and over. "Oh, God," she groaned, dropping her face in her hands.

Brooke sat down next to Jackie. "Look. Worst case scenario: Colin finds out. But it was just a kiss, and we were _all_ drunk, Jackie. I mean, I think I might _still_ be a little drunk," she giggled, failing to soothe Jackie. Brooke decided to change the subject. "So, um, why are you in here, anyway? I could swear it was originally Hyde."

"We traded places."

"Why?"

Jackie panicked. She hadn't thought about it. Why _was_ she in here? "Oh! Cause, um, Donna was puking, and it was gross."

"God, those two can't hold their liquor," Brooke said, walking away. "I hope she's okay."

Lying back down, Jackie felt the threat of oncoming tears sting her nose. But it was nothing compared to the sickening feeling of dread that whirlpooled in the pit of her stomach. She had to talk to Hyde; that honest jerk probably already had his girlfriend in his El Camino for the 'I swear it's never going to happen again' speech. Right, she thought, never or until someone sluttier comes along.

Oh God, was she the slut, now?

"Hey, Jackie?"

Jackie looked up at Michael and came to a bitter conclusion: she was part of his club now, a true member of the gang, along with Steven and Donna; she was a cheater—the lowest of the low. A whore.

"Jackie, are you listening to me?" Kelso looked back over his shoulder. "Brooke. Something's wrong with Jackie."

" _What_ , Michael," Jackie yelled, snapping out of her thoughts. "What?"

"I asked what room they're in," he said.

"Oh." Jackie consciously drew in a giant dose of oxygen to calm herself enough to answer. "They're um…first door to the left of us." Having used the last bits of her energy, Jackie pulled the covers over her head and felt her heart sink when Hyde's scent wafted teasingly throughout her tiny cocoon of cheap, low-thread cotton. Fighting back tears, Jackie scolded herself for choosing lust over love. Steven Hyde was a distant memory to her; he represented the past, a painful one at that. So why, after all these years, would she choose to go back there?

* * *

Room 420

Hyde had managed a three-minute nap when he woke up to loud pounding, even louder than the one currently raking through his head. It was coming from the door, and from behind that came the most infuriating sound in the world: the muffled screech of Michael Kelso.

"Open up, losers!"

Grumbling threats of death by frogging, Hyde whipped his covers away and headed for the door.

"Are you guys having a threesome in there or what?"

Hyde swung open the door. "What do you want?"

Kelso grinned as Hyde stumbled away, half asleep. "Your room number is 420; that means it's _always_ time to party in here!" Strutting inside, he glanced around the quiet room. "So, whatcha guys doing?"

"What does it look like we're doing, ya moron," Hyde snapped as he crawled back into bed.

"Well, you guys need to get up. My shift starts at four."

"Dammit," Hyde sighed, plopping himself down on the bed. "Then why don't you go make yourself useful?" He sat up slowly, his eyes squinted nearly shut. "My head is killing me. Here." He grabbed his wallet off the nightstand and pulled out a twenty, handing it to Kelso. "There's gotta be a store downstairs. Go get a bottle of Aspirin, six toothbrushes and some toothpaste. Can you do that?"

"Sure," Kelso said, moving toward the door. He stopped and turned around before Hyde could snuggle back under the covers. "You know, Hyde. You should probably go talk to Jackie. She's really upset."

From near panic, Hyde's Adam's apple bobbed in his desert-dry throat. "Why would I need to do that?" He was fishing. It was difficult to imagine that Jackie would tell Kelso something so personal... _Brooke_. A cold sweat seeped out of Hyde's pores as Kelso responded.

"Because Hyde, I heard her talking to Brooke when I left. She's worried you're going to tell Jessica about your little make-out session at the club, and that Colin's going to find out, too."

"I'm _not_ going to lie to Jessica, Kelso," Hyde asserted, lying back down.

Kelso sighed. "Well, then you better go talk to Jackie. That's all I have to stay. I really don't want any part of this."

"Well, then stay the hell out of it," Hyde said in vain as Kelso shut the door. "Damn it."

* * *

Eighteen Minutes Later

Hyde stepped out of room 420 looking like a death row inmate after his last meal. He was a dead-man walking, and he knew it. What the hell was he supposed to say to Jackie, and how pissed off was she? Another punch to the face would've felt better than this, and there was no one to blame but himself. He couldn't keep his dick in his pants, and because of it, the girl who telephoned him every night to say 'I love you'—knowing it would not be returned—was already gone. No matter what he did from this point on, she was gone, and he wanted to punch something, namely himself. He felt bad for Jackie. He did. She was about to lose someone, too, but that was her problem; he had his own to deal with.

Staring intently at her room number, Hyde inhaled deeply and knocked.

Opening the door slowly, Brooke gave Hyde a weak smile. "Come on in. She'll be out in a minute."

Hyde nodded and cautiously stepped inside, scrutinizing the scene of the crime in the light of day. The room had seemed so much smaller the night before. The bed that held them was still unmade, stirring the memory of how warm and soft it had been or maybe it was just her that had been warm and soft. Curious, he sat down on it and lay back as Brooke grabbed her shoes.

"I'll be next door if Jackie asks."

Hyde sat up. "What? You're leaving?"

"Well, yeah."

"No." He flew off the bed and approached Brooke, his eyes practically begging for her mercy. "You gotta stay. I don't know what to say to her."

"Well, what did you think, that I was going to say it for you?"

"No," he said, doing little to hold back the irritation in his voice.

Brooke seemed to take pity on him. "Look, Hyde. It was just a kiss. I really think you should consider not telling Jessica. You were drunk; it was an accident. Telling her is only going to make her upset and insecure." Brooke paused; her words were obviously falling on deaf ears. Hyde was more panicked than before. "It's going to be okay, Hyde. Really. Just talk to Jackie."

Brooke peeked over her shoulder upon the sound of her fiancé entering the room; he was smiling and carrying a small brown bag.

"Hey, you're not trying to steal my girl, too; are ya, Hyde?" It seemed funny until he saw the usual spark of aggression flicker in Hyde's blue eyes. "I'm just kidding. Relax, man. You're so tense all the time. Here." Pulling out a small tube of toothpaste, two toothbrushes and a bottle of Tylenol, Kelso handed the items to Hyde, along with his change. "We'll be next door," he said with an encouraging pat. "Make it quick. It's a long drive."

Hyde stood frozen in the middle of the room with his 'morning after' paraphernalia and watched in horror as the pair walked out the door, leaving him alone with Jackie.

 _"Hyde."_

It was disappointment that he felt first, which surprised him. _Hyde._ They were back to that. Maybe she didn't remember. But he did. He had asked her stop calling him that the night before, and she had promised, sealing it with a kiss—her words. And right then, he understood. The Jackie from last night was a different girl from the one standing behind him. To her, he was back to being Hyde, and Hyde was back to being pissed off about it.

"Hyde, please."

Slowly, he turned around to face her, his expression laced with contempt as he simply stared at her. If she had forgotten, he was _Hyde,_ and _Hyde_ didn't have much to say. That's who she wanted, that's who she would get.

Jackie's swollen eyes narrowed; obviously, the feeling of disappointment was mutual. "I knew it," she said, storming back into the bathroom. "I knew it."

The door slammed shut, and Hyde took a few tentative steps forward, but retreated quickly. The sounds of something being violently thrown sent him into a harried march toward the room's front door. This was about right. This was how he figured it would go. He'd shut down, she'd overreact, and he'd bail—it was textbook. But as Hyde reached for the doorknob, weeping replaced slamming, and he stopped. "Damn it," he whispered, resting his forehead to the cold door. She sounded so sad to him, hurt.

Twisting his body around, Hyde kept contact with the door as he stared into the place that had housed their lovemaking the night before. That's what she had asked him to do, whispering to him in the darkness to make love to her. And he did, happily, easily.

Hyde smoothed his palms over his face. He needed more sleep. He needed a glass of water. He needed to go home and face his girlfriend. There were going to be enough tears when she found out that he had betrayed her with the one person she felt threatened by. Jessica had never said so directly, but Jackie terrified her, and Hyde understood why. She was beautiful and the first girl—the only girl—to be loved by him, to hear those words directly from his lips. And Jessica knew it. Hyde shut his eyes and hung his weary head. _Shit._ This was going to kill her. Jessica was going to hate him, the way Jackie had after Sam. Hyde reached a hand down to the ground and braced himself to sit. With a dull thud, his head hit the thick door behind him and he just sat, his eyes closed, listening to Jackie cry…

 _October, 1979_

 _Hyde watched Sam run up the basement stairs, heading for the kitchen, and made a beeline for the back door. She was getting clingy, and he needed a couple of hours away. The hub would do it, and Fez and Kelso would probably be there to keep him company._

 _Upon opening the door, though, he heard faint crying outside, somewhere around the Forman driveway, and quickly stopped to listen, shutting the basement door behind him._

 _He knew that cry. It was Jackie up there, somewhere out of his view. She was weeping—long, deep sobs—and then he heard his name slip out with one. His girl was crying out to him, and as cold as he had been toward her, he felt for her and understood her tears. Since Sam's arrival, he'd purposefully timed all his sweetest kisses, his most playful nibbles, to coincide with Jackie's sideways glances and found himself enjoying her pain, triumphant when she would run out of the basement, hiding tears. But in private, when his backup—Sam—was gone, Jackie's pain hurt. He missed her in a way that she would never understand, or know, because the fact was, he would never let it show. Ever._

" _Jackie? Oh my god. Are you okay?"_

 _Hyde perked up and nervously backed up toward the door, ready to retreat at the sound of a woman's voice._

" _Brooke," Jackie cried out._

" _Jackie, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"_

" _I can't go down there. I can't watch him with her anymore. I can't pretend anymore… God, I want to die, Brooke. He keeps kissing her right in…right in front…" Jackie's words became heavy, muffled sobs, and Hyde could tell that Brooke was holding her now. Like he should have been doing._

" _Who? Jackie? Who is who kissing? Are you talking about Hyde?" At the mention of his name, Hyde turned around and held his hand to the knob. Finding himself stalled, he listened._

" _His wiiiiife," Jackie sobbed out, her heart audibly crushed, shattered, destroyed, just like he had wanted, "Oh…my…God, Brooke." After a few soothing hushes from Brooke, Jackie's tears seemed to slow, leaving her voice deflated, almost lifeless to Hyde's ears. "You kn…know what's…fu-funny? I always kn-knew he would do this to me. I kn-knew he would hur-hurt me. Somewhere, dee-deep down, I ju-just…knew."_

 _With that, Hyde turned the knob and went back inside to his wife, who waited patiently with a cold beer, making it easier for him to turn his back on the tears being cried for him…_

* * *

Jackie lay on the cold floor of the Hilton Hotel bathroom. Her cheek, pressed to the cold tile, was practically frozen and her head hurt, but for some reason the pain in her body kept her mind grounded. Staring at the white, ceramic floor that surrounded her, Jackie had only one thought—Steven Hyde had ruined her life. Again. How in the hell did he manage to reach out through time and hurt her here? Even with that, she knew it was her fault for letting him. Curling into herself, Jackie hugged her bare legs and ached desperately for her boyfriend. He would have never let her cry; she would have never even made it to the bathroom. Not that he wouldn't have stayed mad, or continued fighting, but he would've never ignored her tears, never made her feel alone. No matter what. It just wasn't his way.

A faint knock startled her out of her reverie. "Jackie?" Her impulse to cry quickly faded. It was Hyde at the door, and a part of her wanted to let him in and hug him for still being there, without bribe or coercion. But the other part of her wanted to punish him for taking so damn long.

"Go away, Hyde."

She heard him sigh and then... silence.

Sluggishly, Jackie huffed. The jerk had taken off—typical.

"Jackie, will you just open the door?"

Frowning, Jackie perked up; he hadn't left.

"You know," she heard him say, "I have something for you, but if you don't want it..."

Wiping her eyes and grabbing some toilet tissue to blow her nose, Jackie stood upright and responded, careful not to sound too interested. "What _do you have_?"

Hyde smiled from outside the door, his head shaking; the girl never changed. "I think it's something you'll like. Especially _now_ ," he subtly lured.

"Well," her voice was getting closer, "just tell me."

"Can't do it," he said, slowly backing away from the door, "I can't give it to you through the door. It's too big. It won't fit." Hyde chuckled to himself; he could practically hear her mind going bonkers with curiosity.

A full minute passed; Jackie was being stubborn, and Hyde knew what he had to do. "Okay," he said, walking toward the exit. "Well, I guess I'll just go give it to Donna then. I'll catch ya later."

"No! No," Jackie called out, whipping open the bathroom door and dashing out. She stopped at the sight of him, her expression quickly projecting poignancy and pride as she studied him. His hand was holding the outside doorknob, and he wore a look of amusement as he waited. He wanted so badly to laugh; she was so easy to read. "Well," Jackie let out with a huff, "where is it then?"

"Come here," he said.

"No. _You_ come _here._ "

"Forget it." Hyde opened the door. "I'll give it to Donna."

"No! Okay. How about we just meet halfway?"

Shutting the door, Hyde nodded and with the strangest of smiles, the two met in the center of the room. Jackie held out her hand. "Hand it over."

Hyde shook his head. "You have to make me a promise first, another one."

Initially offering him a confused look, Jackie's face softened as she gave him a single nod.

"Quit calling me Hyde. I don't like it."

A long stare seemed to spur Jackie's memory. "Okay," she agreed, "I promise… Steven. Now, what do you have for me?"

Slightly fearful for his shins, Hyde pulled a packaged, red toothbrush from his back pocket and grinned. To his surprise, Jackie's face lit up. "Oh! Thank god!" She snatched her gift out of his hand and tried to peek around him. "Got anything else back there?"

From behind his back, in a flash, Hyde produced a small tube of toothpaste, earning him a squeal and _almost_ a hug before Jackie awkwardly caught herself. "Thank you, Hy…Steven." With a flip of her hair and a small shimmy, Jackie skipped off to the bathroom, having forgotten her misery.

As water began to trickle over porcelain, Hyde allowed himself a moment to process his thoughts. Grateful for the release of one chunk of guilt, he stood in the middle of the room and fretted over the rest. First there was Jackie; the night before would probably ruin her happy life, the one he had eventually wished upon her. Second, there was Jessica, who he doubted would be contented with a toothbrush once she found out what he had done. Having learned, though, from his previous mistakes, Hyde made the decision that he would steal one more kiss from Jessica before he broke the news, and the thought made his chest hurt. He wasn't ready to let her go; he liked being with her, she was beautiful, comfortable, and sweet.

Taking his time, Hyde made his way toward the bathroom. He stopped at the doorjamb and raised his arms high, gripping the upper frame as he rested his tired body. "Jackie." She was brushing her teeth, trying her best to pretend that she hadn't heard him. Without another word, Hyde stepped inside, pulled the second toothbrush from his back pocket and, in silence, the two brushed their teeth. Several fleeting glances communicated the awkwardness they were both feeling. It was palpable in the small, white room.

When she was finished, Jackie rinsed out her mouth and spun around, turning her back on the mirror. "We need to talk," she announced, staring at the wall behind him as he rinsed his mouth. "Steven, please don't tell her." Leaning on the sink, his head hung low, Hyde remained quiet. "Please, Steven. I'm begging you."

Plagued with the need to make her understand, Hyde turned his head and made eye contact with her. "I can't lie to her, Jackie."

Upon her own name, Jackie broke into tears. "He's going to leave me, Steven! He'll never forgive me!"

"Jackie, I'm sorry. Look," feeding off his own guilt, Hyde became angry, "do you think I _want_ to tell her? You don't think she's going to dump me, too?"

"No," Jackie said, "You'll probably get away with it like you always do. In fact, you'll probably have _her_ apologizing to _you_ in a couple days."

Laughing darkly, Hyde shook his head. "Forget it," he grumbled, stepping around her and out into the room.

"Steven, wait." Catching up with him, Jackie spun him around and flung her arms tightly around his neck, pleading with him through her tears. "He loves me, Steven."

Undoubtedly affected by her closeness, Hyde hugged Jackie close to him while she continued.

"I'm happy, Steven. Please don't take him from me. Please." Sobs wracked her body and her weight quickly became his sole responsibility as he moved her to the floor at the foot of the bed.

"Jackie, I don't want that to happen," he said, sitting them both down, settling her on his lap as her arms remained firmly coiled around his neck. "But I won't lie to her. I can't do that to her."

"But you could cheat on her?" Jackie released her grip, placing her hands on the nape of his neck as she cried. "Telling her will only break her heart, Steven. She loves you, and I know how that feels, to love you and then find out that someone else has touched you, that you... God, she's going to…" Her words painfully choked off by tears, Hyde chose to interject.

"But I never lied you, Jackie."

"No, but I remember wishing you had. The truth hurt, a lot, and Jessica… God, Steven, she's going to _wish_ she were dead. That's how bad it's going to hurt. You have no idea."

Hyde watched her blue/green eyes; they were filled with emotion. He did have an idea. He knew exactly how much it hurt. "We probably should've thought about all this last night," he said.

"Yes, we probably should've, but we didn't. We were only thinking about what would feel good right then, and we gave in."

His head fall in dismay, but Jackie lifted his chin and locked eyes with him.

"Steven, what will telling her accomplish? Think about it. The only purpose for it is to make _you_ feel better about yourself. It'll ease some of your guilt, but at the same time, it'll crush her."

" _No_ _," he corrected her, annoyed at her assessment of him._ "I'm going to tell her because it's the right thing to do, _Jackie_ _._ I may not have the best judgment, and yeah, I screw up a lot, but I don't lie about it. I don't try to get away with it. I'm not Kelso."

"Oh, spare me, Hyde. You just don't want to feel guilty, so you're willing to exchange your discomfort for hers!"

Hyde's jaw tightened in anger. "Jackie, get the hell off me. I want to get out of here."

"No," she said, tightening her grip on either side of his neck. "You're not getting out of this. We need to settle this."

"It is settled."

She watched his jaw grind and popped it lightly with her fingers. "Cut it out. I know you; you can't fool me. You're mad because I'm right."

"You don't know _shit_ about me, Jackie," Hyde argued, "Come on, you think I haven't grown up at all in five years; is that it? I'm just that same dirt bag who runs off to marry strippers and screw nurses, right? Jessica couldn't possibly mean something to me."

Jackie stilled. "I didn't say that."

"Whatever. I'm not going to _lie_ to her because I care about her, which is more than I think you can say about Colin. _You're_ the one being selfish. Don't you think he has a right to know what his girlfriend was up to last night? Or that she could so easily spread her legs for someone else? Namely, the selfish dirtbag."

"God," Jackie shook her head as a rush of fresh tears swept over her face. "You were _so_ nice last night."

"Yeah, well so were you," Hyde scoffed, attempting to remain cold, but the all too familiar twist of pain on her face summoned his guilt again and he grabbed her, pulling her in for a hug. "Crap." He took a deep breath. "I don't want to fight with you anymore. I didn't mean that." Really only angry with himself, Hyde sat with her for a few moments, letting her cry into his neck as he debated his options.

"I'm a whore," she cried against him, startling him from his thoughts.

"What? No, you're not. That's not what I meant." He tightened his grip on her body. "Damn it."

"I just _spread_ my legs for you after a couple drinks, and you're right, he should know," Jackie sobbed, "that he loves a whoooooore."

"Crap," Hyde said, sitting her up. "Come on." Together, they worked on clearing her face of tears. "Pull yourself together, Jackie. You're not a whore. You were head cheerleader for two months before they realized you'd tripped that girl. Two months, man! Would they make a whore Head Cheerleader?"

"Yesss!" Jackie sobbed harder, collapsing into him.

"Oh, _God_." Beyond frustrated, Hyde dropped his head back against the bed.

Jackie's body quaked as her mind ran through a number of memories, confirming her title of "whore." It was all coming together. She had always been fast and loose. She was a chip off the slutty block. She her mother. She was... oh, God... she was just like Sam. The name sparked a memory and Jackie sat up, having had an epiphany. "Steven," she said, pulling Hyde toward her, using the scruff of his t-shirt. "He told me he wants to marry me someday." She tried her best to smile but failed, not quite ready for such a difficult task. "He took me to New York for my birthday. Did you know that?"

Hyde shook his head. "No. I didn't know that."

"He did, and he took me to Central Park," she told him, finally smiling, "and there was this really sweet old couple. They were, like, fifty. They were so tiny and frail, and they were holding hands as they walked together. And as we passed them, the little old man," Jackie paused to collect herself, sniffling, "he leaned in and kissed the woman. Colin gave me a hug and told me that he wanted me to be his little old lady someday." Breaking back down into tears, Jackie snaked her arms around Hyde's neck and held him for her own dear life, since he seemed to hold it in his hands. "Please, Steven, if you tell her, he'll find out, and he'll leave me. Even though he loves me, he'll leave me, and I've never had anybody love me so much. Nobody, Steven."

Hyde knew it wasn't true but nodded that he understood anyway. "Do you love him?"

"Yes," she replied. "I do. So much."

Hyde sighed and closed his eyes. "What um, what do _we_ do then?"

"What do you mean?" Jackie sat back.

"Well, I mean, we just pretend like it never happened, right? We lie."

"Well... yeah."

"And spend the next five years ignoring each other?"

Jackie shook her head in earnest. "No. No, I don't want that, Steven. I was really happy last night," she confessed. " _Before_ all the kissing and the sex. I loved that we were getting along. I hate fighting with you. I don't even know why we do it."

"Well," Hyde scratched lightly at his cheek, deep in thought, "since, uh, we're going to be sharing such a big secret, maybe we should make a pact to get along, to be friends. You know, for insurance."

Jackie frowned. "A secret?" Staring back at her, Hyde blinked gently, and Jackie squealed, her face illuminating as she threw her arms back around his neck, laying a thousand kisses on every inch of his face. "Oh, thank you, Steven! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Hyde nodded, cringing slightly. "OK. OK. You don't need to do that, Jackie. I think we did enough of that last night, don't you think?"

Jackie sat back and smiled sincerely. "Thank you, Steven. You know, I don't regret...I just, well last night—"

Raising his hand, Hyde cut her off. "Jackie, let's not." Quickly stopping at the look of concern in her eyes, he decided to fess up for once. He shrugged. "It was nice," he said, touching his hands to her sides. "I don't regret it either."

Smiling sweetly, Jackie nodded. "But it'll never happen again."

"No. I know that," Hyde concurred, grimacing.

"Right."

"Right."

"Okay, then." Sighing, Jackie relaxed.

"You done bawling? Can I have my lap back now?"

Tilting her head curiously to the side, Jackie raised her eyebrows. "Are you being a jerk?"

" _No_ _._ "

"You better not be because I'm not moving until you act _nice,_ like last night."

Hyde grinned wickedly.

"Ugh! You're a pig," she teased, playfully smacking him before rolling off of his lap.

"You used to like that about me," he reminded her as he stood up, wearing a cocky smirk. "A lot."

"I also used to like Donnie Osmond a lot, Steven. Things change."

* * *

The Chicago Hilton Lobby

40 Minutes Later.

Donna, Jackie, Brooke, Eric, and Kelso were all lounging on varied pieces of lobby furniture when Hyde walked up, stuffing his wallet in his back pocket. "Alright, let's go," he announced, yawning. "Who's driving?"

"You are," Kelso answered, his eyes still shut as he rested his head on his balled-up fist. "Have fun, man."

"What?" Hyde looked around as everybody except Jackie gave him the pathetic, pleading stares of the tired and hung-over. "No way. I paid for the rooms _and_ I bought you all toothbrushes. Those were expensive rooms!"

"Hey, that's Jackie's fault, man," Eric threw in from his perch on the couch, Donna's fatigued head resting on his shoulder. "And yours."

"What? How is that my fault?" Jackie asked.

Donna lifted her head. "Because you were nibbling on his stupid ear, begging him to get the best rooms he could, and he did."

"Oh, yeah," Jackie conceded, quickly joining the rest of the group's collectively pathetic gaze on Hyde, only hers was one of remorse. "Sorry, Steven."

Hyde sat down. "Whatever. I'm still not driving, and that's that."

"Hyde," Kelso whined, "I have to work tonight. Brooke has to pick up and take care of two kids. Donna is on air tonight, and Eric has an exam tomorrow morning..." He looked at Jackie, "Jackie?"

"What? I'm off work today."

"Are _you_ working today, Hyde?" Kelso asked.

" _No_ ," Hyde sneered. "I called Leo this morning to open the store."

"Well, there you go," Kelso pronounced. "It's between you and Jackie then." Ignoring Hyde's glare, he twisted slightly and lay his head down. "So, uh, try to drive fast 'cause I'm in a hurry."

"No, no, no, no. This is bullshit, man. You guys got way more…" Hyde started to say 'sleep than we did' but caught himself. "Damn it. _Fine_ , I'll drive," he grumbled. There was no reason to draw any more attention to himself or Jackie. A slip of the mouth could screw up their whole program, but the fact that it was him who nearly brought it all crashing down scared him. How long would he last in Jessica's presence if these morons already had him flustered? "Let's just go."

Without looking, Kelso held out his arm and passed a large set of keys to Hyde, "The blue one is the key to the van."

"You mean the mini-van?" Hyde poked.

"It's not a mini-van, man. It's a van."

"Face it, Kelso. You own a mini-van."

Kelso sat up. "It's NOT a _mini-van_! We've been over this!"

Hyde smirked, catching Jackie's eye just in time to give her a swift wink, and headed for the hotel's front doors. "I'm pulling out of here in three minutes, with or without all of you."

Jackie quickly followed, trailed closely by everyone else.

Upon exiting the hotel, Hyde grumbled to himself. Of course, it would be pouring. He tossed Kelso the keys. "Go get your mini-van." At the visual of Kelso's mouth opening, Hyde quickly responded. "Say one word, and you drive home."

"Damn," Kelso muttered, dashing out toward the parking lot, his foot dipping into a puddle the moment he stepped off the curb. "Damn!" Hyde smiled; it was all worth it now.

* * *

Four Miles East of Point Place, WI

2:49 pm

The Van

A quick glance in the rear-view mirror revealed the four sleeping beauties as they lay, paired up, across the back seats, having not a care in the world. Hyde was jealous; what he wouldn't give for that peace right now. Looking to his right, he was reminded that he was not alone. Jackie sat staring into space, chewing nervously on her fingernails, completely oblivious to Hyde's pensive stare as they sat at a red light. "Jackie," he pulled her hand from her mouth, "relax. It's going to be fine."

"What if one of them slips, Steven? Or what if I slip?"

"Jackie," he whispered, "they think we only kissed and plus, you're an excellent liar."

Clearly moved, Jackie continued. "Thank you, Steven, but there's so many things that can go wrong. I mean, what if—"

"Jackie," Hyde interrupted, briefly checking the back for listening ears, and then fixed his eyes on hers, "just promise me something."

"What?"

"If he _does_ find out, you'll call me right away, so I can tell her myself."

Jackie nodded. She completely understood but felt a short-lived and unwelcome twinge of jealousy that Jessica had this version of him. He was genuinely concerned about hurting his girlfriend. "And I'll do the same thing," he added.

"Okay," she whispered as the traffic light changed to green.

Hyde's attention returned to the road, and Jackie relaxed slightly with no more blue eyes to muddle up her rational thoughts. "God, Steven. What did we do? I feel like such a terrible person." Tucking her legs underneath herself, Jackie turned toward him and closed her eyes. "I'm so tired and I still have to drive home. I just want to sleep."

"Why don't you just ride home with Kelso and Brooke?"

"I have my car," she answered quietly.

"Jackie," Hyde whispered, making another pass at the rear-view mirror. "Look, I'm sorry. This is my fault. I was hitting on you all night."

Opening her eyes, quite surprised at his candor, Jackie straightened up and corrected him. "Oh, come on, Steven. I'm a big girl. I could have stopped the whole thing if I wanted to. You're not _that_ irresistible."

"I don't know, Jackie. I've been told that I'm pretty enticing to the chicks."

Jackie laughed, eliciting a small smile from Hyde.

"It's a curse; what can I say?"

"Your brain is a curse."

"That, too," Hyde agreed as the van approached the Forman residence. The driveway was full of cars—Jackie's, Eric's, and Red's. And to his surprise, the El Camino was already parked in the street in front. Before leaving Chicago, he had called Jessica, who had his car, asking her to pick him up. He'd expected her to be late, as usual, leaving him some time to hang with Red for a while.

With nowhere else to park Kelso's mini-van, Hyde pulled over to the curb across the street. "Oh, man. Red's probably pissed that he can't get out."

"Oh, my God." It hadn't occurred to her the night before; she just wasn't thinking…at all, apparently. Jackie wanted to smack herself as she shook her head. "God, what was wrong with me yesterday!"

Hyde honked the horn and laughed with her as the four sleepers were startled awake. "Get the hell up!" he yelled without mercy, "We're back!"

"Alright!" Kelso yelled, shifting in his seat.

Eric grabbed his head, cringing at the pain he obviously felt. "Yeah, man. Come on."

A quick, yet telling, nod at Jackie made her nervous as Hyde twisted in his seat to face the back. "I'm only going to say this once: Any one of you say one fucking word to Jessica or Colin, you're all cut off."

"From what?" Kelso asked, "You don't have anything."

"From oxygen, Kelso."

"Oh."

"Don't worry," Donna assured him. "We're not going to say anything. I just hope that was the end of it."

"That was the end of it," Jackie chimed in, getting a nod from Hyde.

"Yeah, so just shut your mouths, especially you Kelso."

"Why me?"

"Do I even have to explain why?" Hyde asked, taking his jacket from Jackie's lap.

"Not really."

"Okay then." Hyde opened the door and got out. "Keep your mouths shut. I'm serious."

The drizzle of rain that came down around the car was enough to make everyone hurry as they exited the van. Jackie stepped out quickly and pulled her sweater over her head, unwilling to add 'frizzy hair' to her already giant list of problems. Slamming the door shut, her initial thought of how cold the air felt on her bare legs was abruptly interrupted by a sharp, high-pitched scream. Startled, she stepped around the van, unable to peel her eyes away as the source of the commotion came into view. She watched a smiling Jessica leap in Hyde's arms, wrapping her legs around him while she adorned his face with kisses.

"Good morning," Jessica pulled back to see him and her face fell with concern. "What happened to your cheek?"

"I got in a fight." A slight, sympathetic smile formed across her lips as Hyde stared at her nervously, stilling holding her high off the ground. Her thumb brushed gently over his cut.

"Poor baby. What was the fight about?"

"Someone grabbed Brooke's ass," Donna threw in as she passed by, rolling her eyes.

"I was helping Kelso," Hyde clarified.

"Oh." Jessica's smile returned. "We really need to talk. I have news."

"Oh, yeah, she's pregnant," Kelso muttered to the rest of the gang as they crossed the street, Jackie included, her gaze set intently over her shoulder, back on the happy couple. Hyde briefly glanced her way in the same moment that Kelso lightly slapped her arm. "Good going, Jackie."

"Michael, shut-up," she growled. "Or I swear to God, I'll sic Steven on you."

"Why are you calling him 'Steven'?" Eric inquired. "I thought you were done with that."

"Eric," Jackie retorted, "You've got puke on your crotch."

"Why are looking at my crotch?" he asked, grinning wickedly. The pleasure that filled him as Jackie grumbled her way past the sliding glass door was better than any burn he could think of. "Jackie was checking out my crotch, Donna."

"So?"

"Well, aren't you jealous?"

Donna began to laugh as they entered the kitchen. "Oh, Eric. Don't make me laugh. My head hurts enough already."

"Hi, kids! So how was it?" Kitty questioned as they all collapsed into seats around the kitchen. "Tell me everything!"

"Steven, what's the matter, baby?" Jessica asked as Hyde set her down on the sidewalk.

"Nothing, I'm hungover. I just want to go home." He grabbed her hand and walked her to his car. "Wait for me, I'll be right back." Giving him a strange look, Jessica gripped his fingers, unwilling to let him walk away from her so easily.

"Wait. Come here," she insisted, drawing him close, "I missed you." Blue eyes darted everywhere but never once settled on her. "Steven, why won't you look at me?" She grabbed his face. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No," he said quietly, finally biting the bullet and looking directly at her. "I'm not mad at you, babe." His guilt and shame rising to the surface, Hyde pulled her in for a hug, unable to look in her eyes anymore. There was so much love there that he didn't deserve. "I'll be right back," he assured her, stepping back away from her. "I promise." He smiled. "Then we'll go to my place, and you can tell me your news, OK?"

"Afterward, you want to rent a movie and snuggle?" she asked, smiling and shrugging her shoulders.

He nodded. "Yeah, but don't get pissed off when I fall asleep."

Jessica stepped forward and smoothed her hands over his stubbly cheeks. "How late were up last night?"

"I don't even know," Hyde said, giving her a light kiss on the lips as the rain started to pick up. "I'll be right back. Get in the car, you're getting soaked."

Hyde wanted to hit something as he stalked up the driveway. Why did she have to be so goddamn sweet and understanding all the time? When he reached the kitchen, everyone was already chewing on sandwiches made from love by Mrs. Forman. They all looked up as he walked in.

"Steven!" Kitty exclaimed, running around the breakfast nook to hug him. "I haven't seen you all week!" Hyde smiled and accepted her kiss on his cheek. "Come sit! You want a sandwich?"

"No, thanks. I'm not hungry," he said, starving. Once her tiny form was out of sight, having run off into the living room, Hyde rushed over to Jackie and lifted her off her seat.

"Steven?"

"Hyde, what are you doing?" Donna asked.

"I need to talk to Jackie. Bang on the table if Jessica comes in."

Kelso stood up. "Wait, what was it she had to tell you?"

"I don't know, we haven't talked about it, yet," he muttered as he gripped Jackie's arm and pulled her through the basement door and slammed it shut. Jackie became nervous as he held her against the wall at the top of the steps, in near darkness.

"Steven, what's the matter?" Jackie pressed, wondering if he'd already told Jessica. She would kill him.

"I can't do this. I have to tell her."

"No, you don't, Steven! You promised me!"

"Shh! I didn't promise you anything," he whispered. "I said I'd try."

"It's been five minutes," Jackie kicked him hard in the shin. "And you're already blowing it!"

Instinctively bending over rub away the sharp pain, Hyde nearly fell down the stairs before he caught himself. "Ow. Dammit, Jackie." The pain those boots inflicted was intense, and Hyde decided immediately that they had been made by the devil himself; he knew he liked them too much. " _Don't_ do that again or I _will_ tell her."

"Go ahead! You've already ruined my life once, why _not_ do it again?"

Hushing her, Hyde dragged her down the steps to the bottom where he put her back up against the wall. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"God, nothing, just… _please,_ Steven," she implored. "You owe me."

Sighing and pressing his palm to the wall behind her, Hyde dropped his head on her shoulder. Trying to argue with her was pointless; he _did_ owe her. "She's not making it easy, Jackie."

"It's not supposed to be easy. This is what we get for fooling around." Even as she said the words, Jackie couldn't help but notice how near he was. It felt nice, having an intimate connection with him again. It felt right to bond with him, even over something so damaging to the both of them. "Steven, 'don't worry,' remember? 'It's going to be fine.' _You_ said that."

"I know."

"Okay, so go upstairs and go home and just act like everything is normal." Hyde straightened up and inhaled deeply. "Pretend last night never happened."

"Okay," he said, sighing, then surprised her with a lingering kiss to her temple. "I'll see ya." Turning away, he walked out of the basement door.

"See ya." Making her way up the basement steps, Jackie wondered how long he would last, and cringed at a single thought: She had foolishly placed her happiness back in the hands of Steven Hyde. Life, as she knew it, was over.

* * *

Point Place, WI

6:04 pm

Steven Hyde's Apartment

With only the flicker of her video rental lighting the room, Jessica stealthily slipped out of Hyde's bedroom, wearing only her panties and a little tank-top. Tip-toeing toward him, she craned her neck over the couch and smiled at the sight of him falling asleep. Determined to wake him up, she snuck over, lifted his blanket off of him and watched his eyes snap open.

"Jess," he whispered as he watched her descend on him and pepper soft kisses across his bare chest from her knees. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" she asked, giving him a wry smile and another sucking kiss over his nipple. "I missed you last night." To clarify her intentions further, Jessica released her weight onto Hyde's chest and appropriated his mouth for a searing kiss.

Overcome immediately with desire, Hyde responded urgently and let his hands roam down her barely-dressed body, stopping at her ass where he gave her a fervent squeeze. Groaning at the feel of her smooth, warm flesh, he then hugged her waist and pushed her hips down over himself.

Encouraged by her boyfriend's enthusiasm, Jessica grinned as she slowly slithered back down his torso, trailing moist kisses along the way. Moaning his approval, Hyde simply watched her, gently gripping a chunk of her blond locks as his hips thrust slightly in anticipation of her mouth. His head fell back, eyes closing, when she reached her destination, leaving him with only the feeling of her breath as it tickled his skin and her fingers as they tugged at his boxers. "God, Jess." As she prepared to wrap her lips around the head of his dick, Jessica let out a soft moan, inadvertently sparking something in Hyde that made him shove her head away. "NO!"

"What?" Her eyes were wide with bewilderment. "What's the matter?"

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"Uh," Hyde's brain was failing him. Why the hell not? Why? Why? "Uh, 'cause I have a headache."

Jessica broke out into laughter. "Steven! You can't be serious."

Growing angry, Hyde pulled up his boxers and got to his feet. "I _am_ serious. I have a headache, and I'm not in the mood."

"What?" Incredulous, Jessica stood up to meet him. "Baby, what is going on with you tonight You're acting weird."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You won't look at me, you're jumpy, _and_ you didn't ask me about my news. Aren't you curious at all?"

"Yes. I just…I need to take a shower," he announced, heading straight for the bathroom. "It'll wake me up." Leaving her standing confused in the middle of the living room, Hyde shut the bathroom door, dropped his boxers and quickly stepped into a hot shower. Jesus Christ, she almost...with Jackie still all over him from the night before. Jesus, it was just so fucking wrong. Yet still, the memory of it all brought his erection back in full force as he lathered himself up with smooth rhythmic strokes—Jackie beneath him, her skin, her hips, those breathy whimpers that came out of her mouth when she was coming... Hyde came quickly, grateful for the release; there was no way in hell he was going to fuck Jessica while still thinking about Jackie.

God, help him, but it would pass soon; he was sure.

His mind cleared temporarily, Hyde turned up the temperature of the water and let the heat and pressure relax him. What the hell did Jessica have to tell him, anyway? Usually when she wanted to talk to him about something, she just talked, never hesitating. Tonight, she was acting strange. Hyde prayed that the moron wasn't right, that she wasn't pregnant, and calculated every recent instance in which he had come inside her, usually a decision made in the heat of the moment. He _knew_ it would one day come back to bite him in the ass.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Mustaches Are a Bad Girl's Best Friend**

* * *

 **November 1, 1984**

 **4:26 PM**

 **Milwaukee, WI**

 **Jackie Burkhart's Apartment**

Tired and soaking wet, Jackie ambled through the front door of her small apartment, prematurely darkened by the blanket of storm clouds outside. She dropped both her drenched sweater and purse to the floor. Tossing her keys carelessly on the couch, she immediately noticed that the air inside was freezing, making her first order of business to turn up the thermostat. The gauge read 62 degrees, so she turned it up to 76, deciding to worry about her electric bill another day.

Today, she was going to pamper herself.

Switching on the living room lamps, Jackie finally noticed the leftover remnants of her outfit indecision from the day before scattered all over the floor. Her plundered make-up case lay open on the coffee table while an open can of Diet Rite sat precariously on the edge. The sight of it all spurred a strange emotion, and she found it difficult to look back at a yesterday that now seemed a million miles away. The evidence of it made an uncomfortable chill run up her spine.

She just needed to relax and warm up; it was still so cold.

Second order of business: a hot, bubble bath.

As her bare feet made contact with the ice-cold tiles of her bathroom floor, Jackie cursed herself for not grabbing her slippers first. A mug of cream-filled coffee—laced with Kalua—in one hand and a rubber pillow in the other, she prepared her bath, tossing the pillow in the empty bathtub and placing the mug on a small table nearby. The hotter the better, she figured as she filled the tub and added some of Betsy's Mr. Bubble to the thick, steaming stream of water, having run out of her own, expensive kind several days before. Screw it; Betsy seemed to like it.

The bath ready, Jackie slipped off her jean skirt—it was just too sexy for its own good—along with the rest of her clothing before sinking her tense body into what felt like liquid gold.

She sighed as heat surrounded her, defrosting her practically frozen bones and warming her chilled skin. Her head resting on the half-moon shaped bath pillow, Jackie stared straight ahead at her painted toes as they peaked above the water line at her. As she relaxed, she idly wondered what Hyde was doing, if he had made it this far with their secret. The last time she saw his eyes, back in the basement, they were calling out to her, begging for her help. She couldn't shake the feeling that he needed her. He seemed so lost.

As Jackie lay, buried in bubbles, something caught her eye. In her peripheral vision, to her right, was a bottle of Pert she had purchased for Colin. She hated that shampoo herself but he refused to use conditioner—which drove her nuts—and it was the only way to slip some into his thick hair. Apparently, it was for 'chicks only,' but he had no idea that Pert was a combo, 'shampoo-plus conditioner,' and was lathering it on thick during their last shower together. Jackie laughed to herself. Sucker _._

 _Oh,_ _God_.

Her head dropped back onto the pillow, and in the warm steam of the room, knowing that all that heavy rain was outside, knowing that he was out there somewhere, made her long for him. The need to see him, to feel him, was strong, and she needed a reminder—an image other than of Steven Hyde—to bring Colin back to her thoughts, like that stupid bottle of Pert. Jackie hugged the lime green bottle and slipped down in the tub, closing her eyes and smelling the sweet scent of 'shampoo plus conditioner' and Colin.

When Jackie was finished with her bath, about thirty minutes later, she slipped on her favorite white robe and flipped her hair into a towel, quickly plopping her terrycloth clad body onto the couch. With the remote, she flipped through her seven channel options and found nothing. Sighing loudly, she flung the remote to her side and got off the couch, shuffling into her room. Her bed never looked, or felt, as good as this, she thought as she slipped underneath the covers and snuggled in.

It couldn't have been but five minutes later when she heard her front door open. "Jackie?"

Jackie's heart skipped a beat. "I'm in here!"

The room was so dark that she could barely see him when he stopped at her bedroom door. "Hey, babe. What's up? Why are you in bed so early?"

"I'm exhausted. Turn on the light." Jackie followed his shadowy form as it moved toward the lamp on her bedside table, and when the light flipped on, there he was: green eyes smiling down at her, hair soaking wet, dress shirt un-tucked and un-buttoned on top—looking a mess—with his tie flung over his shoulder, but God, he never looked so good.

Jackie leaped up and draped her arms around his neck, her hand sliding up over his dark hair, drenched from the rain. "Oh, Colin, I'm so glad you're here." He hugged her tightly, and she finally exhaled; this was the feeling that she needed. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," he replied, slightly confused at her enthusiasm, as they'd seen each other the morning before.

Jackie pulled away. "God, you're soaked."

"Yeah, it's bad out there." Touching her face, Colin smiled and went in for a kiss, but she stopped him, her guilt taking the form of a slightly frantic and desperate need to care for him.

"You need to get out of those clothes," she said, tugging at his suit jacket.

Never taking his eyes off her, Colin began to slip off his jacket for her. "I'm sorry about last night. There was nothing I could do." The look on his face, his remorse over something so menial, made her want to cry and confess everything about Hyde. Instead, she focused on his clothing while he dropped his coat to the floor.

"Colin! It's going to wrinkle!"

"So?" Jackie groaned and got off the bed, picking it up before hanging it on a nearby chair. "Colin, you have to take care of your suits." She returned to his side and abrasively began to unbutton his shirt. "Suits make the man."

"Jackie, calm down," he said, watching her nervously pull apart his remaining buttons. "What are you doing? Why are you freaking out over my clothes?"

"I'm not. They're just expensive, and you _never_ care for them the way you should." Spinning him around, she slipped off his shirt.

"Jackie." Standing shirtless, and feeling strangely violated, Colin ambled back around and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. "Jackie, _what_ is going on? How much coffee have you had?" Upon her expression, frantic tears pooling just above her lower lids, he finally understood—or thought he did, anyway. "Baby, I'm _sorry_. I tried to tell him. I told him I had plans last night, but he didn't fucking care. There was nothing I could do."

"I don't care," she murmured, her eyes focused somewhere around his sternum.

"I'm…I know you really wanted to go," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I _really_ am, OK?"

"I don't care about that. I'm not _mad_ at you. I just…I missed you," she said as he pulled her in for a hug as gasping sobs began to wrack her small frame.

"Why are you crying?"

"I don't kn-know."

Reaching over to shut out the light, Colin sighed and picked her up, bringing her down to the bed. "Let's lay down," he whispered, tucking them both underneath the covers. "Better?"

Jackie nodded. "I'm sorry," she whispered as he pulled her close. "I don't…I guess I'm just having a bad day."

"Just tell me what happened, baby."

"Nothing. I'm tired. I was up late, and I'm hung-over."

He let out a chuckle. "That's it? That's why you're crying? Because you're hung-over?"

Jackie smiled, suddenly forgetting about her tears. She'd forgotten how easily he could make her smile. "I guess," she giggled. "If you think I'm bad, you should see Donna." Momentarily freed of all thoughts Hyde, Jackie closed her eyes as her boyfriend's smiling lips descended over her neck. With soft moans, he laid lazy kisses on her Mr. Bubble-scented skin, his afternoon stubble scratching lightly and making her sigh happily in his ear, "Oh, baby, I _like_ that."

"I know you do," he breathed out, obviously turned on to her, his hands beginning to roam over every curve and arc of her body. "Last night," he confessed, "when I was stuck in that bullshit meeting, all I did was think about doing this."

Shamefully, Jackie squeezed her eyes shut while his mouth continued to lovingly devour her. She deserved to rot in hell for what she had done to him. While this man was thinking about her, she was tongue deep in her ex-boyfriend, and still thinking about it, still, even as Colin slowly slid his tongue inside her mouth. He was a good kisser, though, and eventually pulled her thoughts back to him.

"So, what'd you end up doing last night?" he asked, nuzzling her.

"Huh? Oh, we went to the ship last night," Jackie replied, a little confused, forgetting that the last word Colin heard was that she wasn't going.

"You did?" He lifted his head. "Oh. Well, how was it?"

"Oh, my God, baby. You would've loved it. There was this room when you first walk in where there was blood all over the walls and zombies came out of those little metal doors in morgues and chased us out into this hall where something jumped out of me, and Michael freaked out and shoved me, thinking I was a ghost," she giggled. "And then there was this other hall..."

Colin nodded as she explained, listening intently and trying to keep up. The girl could talk.

"…the maze, and then Steven and I couldn't find Michael or Brooke or anybody…"

"Steven? Who's Steven?"

"Oh. Hyde, I mean. His first name is Steven, but nobody calls him that, except Mrs. Forman. He was my maze buddy last night."

Colin frowned. "Where was his girlfriend?"

"Oh, um. She had to work."

"Wait. How did you get in without a costume?" he asked, forgetting all about Hyde for a moment, someone he tried not to concern himself with, unless he was being a prick to Jackie.

"Fez let me and Ste… _Hyde_ borrow his and Amy's costumes. I mean, it was a couple of dumb, candy t-shirts, but it got us in."

"Fez and Amy didn't go?"

"No. Amy's sick."

"Oh." Colin said. "So..." He frowned again. "So, you went as Hyde's date?"

Jackie swallowed so hard, she swore it must have sounded like a nuclear bomb. "Yeah. But it was just to get in."

"Did he act like a prick to you?" His voice was slightly elevated, and Jackie immediately sat up and climbed over him, straddling his hips with a smile.

"No. He was actually very nice to me," she assured him, running her hands up his chest, trying her best to direct his thoughts toward her and away from Hyde.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, baby. We made a deal to be civil to each other, and we were." Nervous as hell, but smiling anyway, Jackie untied her robe and lowered her naked chest to meet his, resting her cheek on his warm skin. "I don't want to talk about him anymore. I missed you," she whispered, pressing a slow, thick kiss to the side of his neck, certain of her success in distracting him as the manhood beneath his suit slacks hardened beneath her, his hands working up and under the hem of her robe...

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

6:38 PM

A towel tied tightly around his hips, Hyde cautiously stepped out of the bathroom and looked around, finding no sign of Jessica. The last he'd seen of her, she was annoyed with him. "Jess?" A few tentative steps towards his bedroom and her soft crying finally found his ears. Hyde's gaze fell to the floor—man, he deserved to burn in hell for this. "Jessica," he conceded as he walked toward his bed, "Baby, come on. I'm sorry." He sat down and immediately watched her roll away from him. Yeah, she was pissed alright. "Look. I know I'm acting like a... a…"

"Like an asshole," she offered quietly.

Hyde nodded. "Yeah. A big one. But, look, I swear it's not you."

"Then what is it?" he heard her ask softly. Lying down to gently spoon her body with his, Hyde draped an arm over her waist and kissed her exposed shoulder as a peace offering. "You've been acting so distant lately."

"I don't know." A few more of his sweetest yet rarely seen 'I'm sorry' kisses—what should have done the trick—didn't seem to be working tonight; Jessica remained quiet. Hyde was sure he deserved it. He was a bastard, he knew. The girl had done nothing but love him unconditionally and yet, something made him stray. There was really nothing she could have done to prevent it. The night before, he had been craving Jackie and there was little that could, or would, have stopped him from having her, even the love of this beautiful girl. Unsure of how to handle the situation, Hyde sighed loudly, hoping to get a response out of her—any kind of response.

But he got nothing.

Placing light kisses down her arm, Hyde had a thought, and in an instant, finally grasped why Jessica wouldn't speak to him. God damn it, Red was right; he _was_ a dumb-ass. Bracing himself for the worst, Hyde gave her a squeeze. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

* * *

Jackie's Apartment

6:31 PM

"God, Colin," Jackie whimpered; the added stimulation of his strong fingers digging into her hips, forcing her down over him as she rocked faster and faster was carrying her quickly into orgasm. "Oh, God!"

"Come for me," he said, vigorously guiding Jackie's hips until he felt her inner muscles pulse around him. His head fell back onto her pillow, wet from his hair. "Oh, Fuck." Though her body was spent, Jackie collapsed slightly over his chest, but continued to bounce for him as he held her tightly against him and came, softly cursing her name before proclaiming his love.

As she tried to regain her pre-orgasmic wits, Jackie lay wilted over Colin's body. Then the sharp stab of guilt once-again pierced her heart. All she could suppose was that she shouldn't have done that, shouldn't have made love to Colin; if he'd known what she'd done, he would have never stayed, would have never held her, never kissed her, never told her he loved her. If Colin only knew that flashes of her ex from the night before plagued her mind even as he whispered those sweet words to her, or worse, while he made her come. God, she would be lucky to burn in hell for this. Jackie had hoped that sex with Colin would banish Steven Hyde from her thoughts, but so far, he was still there, clear as a summer's day.

Kissing her boyfriend's chest and listening to the thump of his sweet heart, Jackie let her lips linger over his skin, savoring the taste. "I love you," she whispered, praying that it was enough.

"I love you, too."

Smoothing her cheeks over his skin and hugging him tightly, Jackie neared tears. He was so good to her, so sweet, but yet, he never let her get away with her bullshit. He kept her grounded, made her happy. So why had she strayed? Blinking back frustrated tears, she glanced up at him. "Stay with me tonight?"

Colin's hands fell gently over her, massaging her back as he smiled down at her. "Yeah."

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

6:48PM

"Dammit, Jessica. Will you stop being a pain in the ass and just tell me?" Hyde got up off the bed. "This is ridiculous."

"No. You're being a jerk."

Hyde turned around, practically shaking from his aggravation, and pointed at her. "I'm only being a jerk because you won't tell me."

"No. I'm only _not_ telling you because you're being a jerk."

Frustrated as hell, Hyde briefly considered walking over to the bed and wringing her neck—she was infuriating—but he composed himself instead. The _last_ thing she deserved today was this. _Crap._ "I'm not playing this game with you tonight, Jessica," he asserted, calmly. "I'm just not."

"Fine, you can play with _yourself_ tonight, because I'm going home." Jessica stood up, grabbed her jeans and breezed past him into the living room.

Staring thoughtfully at the crumpled sheets on his bed, Hyde suddenly felt his guilt return, followed by an overpowering desire to make her stay. "Jess," he called out as he moved into the darkened living room where she was quickly dressing. "Jess, come on."

She was quiet as she dressed, and a few moments later, Hyde watched her move toward the door. He quickly caught her from behind before she could turn the knob, holding her exit shut with a single arm. His body pinning her in place, her chest pressed against the door, Hyde coiled his other arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I don't want you to go."

Jessica remained motionless, breathing with him for several minutes as the room closed in around them.

"Please don't go," he added.

"I don't _want_ to go. But I'm not going to stay here and be treated like dirt by you."

"You're right. Look, I'm sorry. I guess, I'm just a little, I don't know, _worried_ about what it is you have to tell me." That, among other things.

Her face turning sour with confusion, Jessica turned around to face him. "Worried about what? It's not like I'm…" A look of realization swept over her face. "Oh. Did you think I might be pregnant or something?"

"I wasn't sure," he said, shrugging. "You're not?" He felt like a dumb-ass suddenly for thinking she could be and then responding like an ass.

"No," she answered, raising her hands to his cheeks. "I would've told you something like that right away. Plus, we're so careful."

Nodding, Hyde pulled her in for a hug and thanked God for small favors, well in this case, a huge favor. The sweet smell of her hair drew him in further as he buried his face into her neck and gave her the rueful nuzzle of a man shamed. "Freaking Kelso put it in my head that you could be, and... Look, if you had been, we would have figured it out, okay? I..." Squeezing her closer, he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"I know," she assured him, combing her fingers through his hair, oblivious to just _how_ much he had to be sorry for. "It's okay. I'm sorry, too. I was just so excited to tell you my news, and when you didn't seem to care, I overreacted."

"Are you going to tell me what this news is or what?"

Sighing, Jessica pulled away from him and smiled.

* * *

Jackie's Apartment

7:18PM

Colin smirked from his perch on the kitchen counter and watched with curiosity as Jackie aimlessly toddled around the kitchen. "What are you doing?"

"Making you dinner."

"What are you making?" he asked, taking a swig off his bottle of Guinness, already pretty confident of her answer.

"Spaghetti."

He laughed. _Yep_. He knew it. It was all she ever made. It was all she knew _how_ to make. "Can't wait, baby," he said, eliciting a bright smile from Jackie along with a bashful shrug that made him only love her more, if that were possible. "Hey, Jackie?"

"Yeah," she replied as she silently handed him a large jar of Ragu to open. Instead of opening it, though, he set it down beside him and gripped her waist, pulling her assertively between his thighs. "Come here. There's something I need to tell you."

His long pause and the apologetic look on his face scared her.

"I have to leave again."

Her eyebrows furrowing, Jackie's shoulders fell. "What? Why?"

"I have to go back to New York," he answered, saddened as he watched her face crumble into disappointment. Locking her still with his legs, Colin was forced to hold her pouting head to maintain eye contact. "But, I was kind of hoping that you would come with me again. It's only until the fifteenth."

"Colin, I have to work. I can't just leave."

"I know," he acknowledged as she wriggled free and walked away, back to her pot of boiling water. "What if I flew you out on the weekends?"

"First class?" she asked, spinning around, her brow arched in intrigue.

Colin shook his head, amazed at the girl's conveniently short attention span. " _Not this time, sweetheart; I'm sorry._ You'd have to fly in the dirty, poor people section like the rest of us peasants."

"Wait, your work doesn't fly you First Class?"

"Pft! _No_ _._ I'm scum. I'm at the bottom of the food chain." Colin opened the jar of Ragu for her, then resigned himself to watching her ass as she moved around the small kitchen. "I fly coach, baby; the fat cats in charge fly First Class."

"Well, why aren't you a 'fat cat'?"

"Because I don't want to be a 'fat cat.' I want to get my paycheck and come home early to my extremely hot girlfriend before she's too tired to have sex with me."

Jackie smiled at that as she stirred her sauce. But in the wake of her smile trailed sorrow. Like always, Jackie Burkhart was putting on her bravest face. But underneath it all, she was terrified—of losing him, of losing her happy life, of losing her own peace of mind. Colin was handsome and wonderful, but every glance at him now got heavier and heavier with guilt.

* * *

Hyde's Apartment

Hyde jaw clenched. "What the hell, Jess?"

"Will you please just listen," she said, hugging his waist. "Look at me." When blue eyes finally gazed into hers, she continued. "I want you to come with me."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"It's only an hour commute," she reasoned. "People do it all the time."

"Then why don't _you_ just stay _here_ and commute _there_?" he reasoned back.

"Because I can't."

" _Why not?"_

"Steven, will you _please_ just think about it? We can find a great place, and finally live together, and you could still drive here every day to the store. Both of us could be happy."

Hyde stared at her, his gaze dancing between her chestnut eyes, wide with worry. "Jess, I don't get it. Why can't _you_ just commute? Why the hell would you have to move _there_ ," he asked, pissed off as he stalked away from her and plopped himself down on the couch, stubbornly resting his head on his balled-up fist and scowling at nothing.

It was times like these when Jessica was confident that he really did care about her, liked her, maybe even loved her—probably not loved—but he cared, a lot, he did. Cautiously, Jessica made her way over to the man she loved and settled in on his lap, straddling him.

"Baby," she cautiously started. "I _need_ _to do this_. My dad said he'd pay for my apartment if I moved closer to him and his office. Steven, I can barely afford my rent here; I _have_ to go. Will you _please_ understand? I don't want to go without _you_ _, though_ _._ Won't you at least think about it? For me."

Hyde's silence and refusal to even glance in her direction prompted her to sadly continue; he was breaking her heart, as usual. "I love you so much, and I'm not asking for a commitment, I just..." Jessica sighed out of despair; he was still quiet and so, so stubborn. Although the ironic thing was that it was one of his traits that made her love him so much. But loving him was fucking exhausting.

"I'll be back on the 17th. Promise me you'll at least consider it. _Please_ , Steven. You don't even have to make a decision right now; I'm not moving until after New Year's."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Hyde officially established this November day as 'Worst Day Ever.' No... 'Third Worst Day Ever.' No. That was wrong, too. _'Fourth_ Worst Day Ever.' He figured that guilt and the lingering taste of a certain brunette's lips would consume him and eat him whole today, but now he found anger and misery moving in to finish him off instead.

"I'm going to head home," he heard Jessica whisper.

Startled from his thoughts by the sensation of her body leaving his, Hyde closed his arms around her hips and barred her departure. "No." A rush of sensation burned through his chest as he grabbed his girlfriend roughly, seizing her lips in a brutal kiss. "Stay." She had to know; he didn't want her to leave, but he wasn't about to uproot his life for her either.

Sensing the desperation hidden behind the urgency of his kiss, Jessica retreated from his lap and took hold of his hand. "Then come to bed with me," she said. "Make me feel better."

Hyde stood up and let her lead him into his bedroom. They would save this conversation for another day…

* * *

 **Two Days Later**

 **Saturday, November 3, 1984**

 **Milwaukee, WI**

 **The Home of Kelso and Brooke**

* * *

 _Mr. and Mrs. John Kelso_

 _and_  
 _Ms. Caroline Spencer_  
 _request the honor of your presence_  
 _at the marriage of their children,_  
 _Michael M. Kelso_  
 _and_  
 _Brooke A. Spencer_  
 _on_  
 _the Morning of_  
 _Saturday, December 1st, 1984_  
 _at Eleven O'clock_  
 _First Presbyterian Church_  
 _Milwaukee, Wisconsin_  
 _Reception to Follow_  
 _Lakeside-South Marriott_

* * *

Fanning herself with the fancy white card, Jackie fell back whimsically onto the couch. "Oh, my God, Brooke! This is beautiful! God, I cannot _wait_ until Colin and I make wedding invitations!"

"Shouldn't you wait until he actually _asks_ you to marry him first?" she heard a voice chime in from the kitchen.

Jackie's eyes thinned in anger. _Michael M. Kelso's_ voice was cutting through her last freaking nerve today, and she didn't know why. Sitting up, Jackie fixed her deadliest glare in his direction as he arrogantly strutted into the room, chewing on a big, fat bologna sandwich. "Michael, why haven't you left yet?"

"Because the game doesn't start for another two hours, so unh!" he said, showing her his half-chewed snack.

"Ew!" Mere seconds away from burning Kelso, Jackie was quickly distracted by the sounds of baby screams closing in on her. And before she knew it, twenty-one-month-old Bradley Kelso had thrown his giggling body onto her lap. "Hey! Where were you?" she asked, picking him up.

Sitting on the floor near Jackie's feet, counting invitations, Brooke laughed. "He, uh, has a thing now for hiding in closets. 'Hide and Go Seek' with Betsy."

Her mouth dropping open melodramatically, Jackie's forced a laugh from the small boy. "Were you hiding?" He nodded happily. "Oh, no!"

"Man, this sucks," Kelso announced as he stared at the television's local new broadcast. "The game got canceled cause of all this stupid rain."

"What game is it anyway?" Jackie asked, sticking her tongue out at the baby.

"The Packers are playing the Bear's at Memorial Stadium. Hyde got two tickets."

Jackie looked up. "Wait. What? _Steven's_ coming _here_?"

"Well, yeah. But the game's canceled so... Oh!" Kelso hurried over to Brooke and knelt down, giving her his best 'please' pout. "Can we go to Brian and Cathy's party now?"

Brooke shook her head. " _You_ can. I have invitations to fill out, Michael."

"But I want you to come, baby," Kelso whined. "I don't want to be stuck with just Hyde."

"Well, then stay here with me and Jackie and help. We can watch that movie you rented and if we hurry and get this done, maybe we can _all_ go to the party."

Kelso stood up, his son bouncing close behind as he walked over to the television console and grabbed a VHS rental off the top. "Oh, yeah," Kelso growled excitedly. "The Terminator! Hyde can't be as pissed about the game if I distract him with the _Terminator_ ," he roared into his son's face, making him squeal and run off to find his big sister.

"Wait, no," Jackie interrupted as Kelso laughed. "Steven can't stay here!" She stood up and approached him anxiously. "He just can't, Michael!"

Kelso grimaced at her. "He's already driving here from Point Place, Jackie, I can't send him back." Upon Jackie's dirty look, her hands scornfully on her hips as she tapped her foot, Kelso lost it. "Look lady! He's my friend, and I want to hang out with him!"

"No!"

"Yes! So just keep your tongue out of his mouth for one night, and everything should be fine!"

"Michael," Brooke gently scolded.

"Sorry, baby," Kelso said, before turning back to Jackie, his head hung slightly as he rolled his eyes. " _Sorry, Jackie_ _._ "

Nerve-wracked, Jackie continued. "Michael, I'm serious. Just take him to a bar or something or else I'm going home." She knew there was no way she could see him, not yet, she just couldn't. Time was what she needed, she had eventually realized after three straight days of thinking about him and their night together. It was hard enough getting him out of her head without having to see his face, hear his voice or even be _near_ him right now. _God!_ Maybe he grew that hideous mustache back in the last three days. She could only hope.

"No, no, no," Brooke insisted, her eyes wide with panic. _"You_ are not going _anywhere_ , Jackie. I need you to help me fill out these invitations. I have to prepare _one hundred and forty_ of them by Monday. So, sit your butt down, and start writing." Brooke pointed Jackie toward a basket of metallic-silver calligraphy pens and her half of the list—70 names and addresses. " _You're_ the maid of honor and _this_ ," she pointed, "is _your_ job. And _Hyde_ is the best man, so you better get _really_ used to being around him."

Without a single argumentative word, Jackie sat down, a tiny bit afraid of Brooke. She never realized that brides could be so scary. The high-maintenance brunette shivered at the thought of herself as a bride—heads would probably _roll_. "Fine," Jackie said to Brooke just as the doorbell rang, making her heart take a nosedive into her stomach _. Please have a mustache. Please have mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: I'm Just a Jealous Guy**

 **Music:**

Jealous Guy – John Lennon

* * *

…Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh…

 _I was dreaming of the past  
And my heart was beating fast  
I began to lose control..._

 _Jackie must have been around seventeen years old, and holy shit, was she beautiful, especially when she had glared down at him, fired up like a lit firecracker in the middle of the Hub…_

 _"Steven, why are you being so difficult?"_

 _How the hell could she not know? A surge of anger brought him to his feet to face her. It was probably the most vivid image he held of that particular conversation. "Jackie. No amount of tattoos or toe rings are going to fix the fact that you've got a lot to apologize for."_

 _"You're the one who should apologize!"_

 _Pft! Right. There was no way in fucking hell she was getting another apology, not after what she had done._

 _"Well, then I guess we're not getting back together," he had declared, re-taking his seat._

 _"I guess we're not."_

 _Beneath his stubbornly folded arms, his aching chest had tightened. Why wasn't she arguing or crying? He had figured his words would upset her and send her apologizing form straight onto his lap, winning him another kiss like the one he had gotten the night before—prior to the stunt he had pulled with Raquel._

 _"Oh, and by the way, you don't deserve a real tattoo! But if I were to get one, I'd show it to Fez before I'd ever show it you!"_

 _She had walked away from him at that moment, and although he made sure to maintain his indifferent facade, he instantly felt his loneliness return. It made him sick to realize how much he missed her; it was complete crap, but he couldn't shake the feeling. Then he watched the moron sitting across from him smile. "I hope she gets it on her heinie."_

 _"Man, I'm gettin' out of here. Are you coming?"_

 _"No, Kelso is meeting me here for lunch," Fez had replied happily._

 _"Whatever. I'll just catch ya later then." Exiting the Hub and heading toward the El Camino, he dissected the things Jackie said and came to the conclusion that the girl was out of her mind. HE was supposed to apologize? For what? For making an ass out of himself for her? For competing with his best friend—who she CLAIMED she was over—for an ounce of her pity and love. Apologize? Why? Was it so wrong to expect a little affection and loyalty from the girl he thought loved him, who he had confessed his love to, like a freaking idiot? No way. Screw her._

 _Once inside his car, Hyde flipped on the radio, anything to get that pain in the ass out of his head. He was drained from thinking about her. Turning the dial, the first sound he heard was the sorrowful whistle of John Lennon. Fucking Yoko. She probably drove John nuts, too—the poor bastard was practically on his knees, apologizing. But just like Jackie, Yoko probably said she'd need the summer to think about it. Fucking broads._

 _Even all these years later, it was disheartening to recall how pathetic his life had been in those days. He had been downright miserable, so in denial of his puppy love for Jackie. Yet he had understood her anger, even then. He wasn't Kelso. He was always aware that an apology, another one, was what she deserved after he had cheated and betrayed her trust. But his stubbornness and pride continually got in the way, making it impossible._

 _All of his faults, he had decided as he sat in his car that day, all of his shortcomings, had failed him, and her. His distrust, his jealousy, his impulsivity, his thoughtlessness, his anger, and his cruelty, they had failed them both. And Raquel, well she had been for show, and it was that insensitivity and rancorous spirit that had placed him right back to where he started: without his chick._

 _Hyde could recall listening to Lennon's serene voice on that far away afternoon and actually punching the steering wheel. Upon the memory, twenty-five-year-old Steven Hyde snickered at himself; it was he who had been the moron, not Fez. Well, they all were, really. All of them were complete morons back then, and he and Jackie had been in love, but were too young, too stupid, to know how to handle it. He should have apologized to her; he knew that now. Should have, but didn't…_

 **Saturday**

 **November 3, 1984**

 **5:04 pm**

…Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh….

 _I didn't mean to hurt you  
I'm sorry that I made you cry  
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you  
I'm just a jealous guy…_

Steven Hyde watched twin windshield wipers swish vehemently in rhythm together, both doing little to help guide him through the torrential rain as he crept through bumper to bumper traffic. The El Camino was finally approaching the front of the line and his eye caught a glimpse of bright orange, forcing him to stop. Into clear view appeared the neon trench coat of a soaked police officer, walking toward him and pointing away. Hyde turned off the radio and rolled down his window.

"You're going to have to turn around," the cop yelled over the rain. "This whole street is washed out!" Behind the officer sat the stalled out and abandoned cars of people who had driven directly into the raging river where a street had once been.

"Oh, man," Hyde looked around, and then returned his attention to the officer. "Hey, do you know Officer Kelso?"

"Yeah," she answered warily. "You a friend of his?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to get to his house, but I only knew the way through this street."

The female officer directed Hyde around the flooded-out road, and he soon found his way again, eventually pulling up in front of his friend's house. He wasn't sure why he hadn't just turned around and headed back to Point Place the minute he heard about the collapse, but the reality was that there was nothing at home for him tonight or for a while it seemed. Abandoning the shelter of his car, Hyde made a run through the deluge of rain, getting drenched in his wasted effort to stay dry. Once safely underneath the arid oasis of Kelso's front porch, he rang the doorbell…

* * *

 _…Please have a mustache. Please have mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache. Please have a mustache…_

"I got it!" Kelso screeched, dashing for the door, as if he had competition.

From the family room couch, Jackie looked over at Brooke, slightly concerned. "Brooke, I don't know if I can see him right now."

Brooke shrugged. "You're going to have to see him sometime."

"I know," Jackie groaned, freezing the moment she heard his muffled voice. "Oh, my God."

Kelso whipped open his entry door. "Hey, man! Guess what!"

"I already know," Hyde said, stepping inside. "It sucks. I haven't been to a Packer's game in five freakin' years."

"Well, I don't get it man; they play in blizzards all the time and they can't handle a little rain?"

"Kelso. One of the roofs collapsed because of all the rain." Kelso still appeared extremely confused, so Hyde continued. "On people, man."

"Oh… well, but the field's fine, though, right?"

"Kelso! Oh, forget it. So, what do you want to do tonight?"

"Well, I rented a movie, and there's a party next door." Making his way through the house, with Hyde following close behind, Kelso walked through the kitchen and almost made it to the extended family room before he was stopped by Hyde's hand at the sound of Jackie's voice.

Hyde turned Kelso around and pushed him back into the living room. "What's she doing here?"

"She's always here."

Hyde hadn't even considered that she would be there, even though she did only live a few blocks away—according to Kelso, anyway. And she _was_ pretty good friends with Brooke. "Why don't you and I head out? Huh? Go to a bar or something."

Kelso shook his head. "Man, the roads are all washed out. We aren't going anywhere."

"Crap." Kelso was right. The two old friends shared an uneasy glance.

"Man, Hyde, when did you turn into such a wuss? It was just a kiss. If I stayed away from every chick whose mouth I violated, I'd be…I'd… Well, I wouldn't be around very much, OK? So, come on," he said, putting his arm over Hyde's shoulder and guiding his reluctant friend's body back toward the kitchen. "She probably forgot all about it, anyway. I was always a _much_ better kisser than you," Kelso assured him.

Hyde grimaced. "How the hell would you know?"

"I can just tell."

From her place on the couch, her back to the kitchen bar, Jackie couldn't see the two boys walking in, but damn it, she could sense them, and once Brooke's wide eyes darted in her direction, she knew. A sharp inhale marked the moment Hyde's hazy form entered her peripheral vision.

 _Please have a mustache. Please have mustache._ What the hell was she so nervous about, anyway? Jackie made the conscious decision to control her breathing just as Hyde walked around the sectional sofa and said, "Hey."

 _Breathe._

"Hey," she returned with a smile. His face was perfect, no mustache, not a flaw to be found. Damn him. Why did he have to be so cute? Jackie's heart bounded uncontrollably in her chest as he sat down to her immediate right. An entire couch, and he sat right next to her, their thighs touching. How she wanted to strangle him.

 _Breathe._

God, he smelled good.

For what seemed like a lifetime, Hyde sat beside to Jackie in silence. He rallied his nerves and waited for Kelso to distract Brooke, as he'd asked. "Hey, baby," Kelso asked her, winking at Hyde. "Could you come here for a second? I need to show you something."

"Okay." As Brooke left the room with her fiancé, a suspicious look on her face, Hyde leaned toward Jackie and whispered in her ear.

"So, how'd it go?"

The brunette startled him by abruptly twisting rightwards to face him, her colorful eyes mere inches from his and wide with surprise. "Oh, my God. I thought you were going to be all jerky or ignore me like you usually do," she yipped, smacking his arm. "You scared me!" Setting her hand on her heart, Jackie settled her eyes on him. "I was so nervous when you came in."

He gave her a slight smile. Watching her anxiety play out so blatantly before him gave Hyde a sense of relief that he wasn't expecting. She was always so transparent but the look on her face during his approach had made him nervous, too. "So, you didn't answer me. How'd it go? Wait, Colin isn't here, is he?" Hyde looked around suddenly conscious of the boyfriend he would be pissing off when, or if, their secret was ever revealed.

"No." Jackie answered solemnly, shaking her head. "He's in New York. But, he doesn't know." The words, saying them out loud, especially to Hyde, made Jackie feel even guiltier—if that were possible these days. "What about Jessica? How'd it go with her?"

"Terrible," Hyde answered, flipping his hand up in frustration. "I acted like a guilty idiot, and we fought for two days until she left." The look on Jackie's face forced him to clarify his statement. "No, she doesn't know."

"Wait, she _left_ you?"

" _No_ ," he replied, as if the question was preposterous. Jessica would never leave him, and he knew it. Maybe that was the problem, maybe that was why his mind had drifted so far from her on Halloween night. Jessica was safely his, no matter what he did. She had successfully convinced him that he need never be afraid of losing her. Disgusted with himself, Hyde sighed at the realization that he really was a dirtbag. "She went to Minneapolis with her dad on some business trip."

Sitting on the couch and scanning the room around her, Jackie felt at ease for the first time in three days. Aside from their collective breathing, which was slowly growing in sync, and the pounding rain outside, the room was silent. She glanced over at Hyde and realized that he was just as plagued over their drunken indiscretion as she was, and it gave her a sense of comradery with him. He was experiencing the same misery as her. The past few days must have been rough on him, too. His brow was furrowed in deep thought, and he was tapping his foot subconsciously, a sure sign that his mind was in turmoil. It made her want to hug him, comb through his hair, make him feel better. But deep down, she worried that he would get the wrong idea.

"Steven," Jackie began, rotating her entire body and tucking her leg beneath herself to face him. "Jessica's never going to find out. Because right here, right now, we should swear to never bring up that night again. Even to each other," she added with a convincing smile.

Hyde stared at her for a moment, trying to get a read on her thoughts. Why was she being so cool about this whole thing? He figured Jackie would act like a maniac and talk about it so much that those chatterbox lips of hers would fall right off. "Yeah, OK."

Jackie smiled. "OK." A few minutes of mildly awkward silence, and Hyde got another one of Jackie's nervous smiles. "Steven? I really want us to be friends. We haven't been _actual_ friends in a really long time, and I think we should try. What do you think?" she asked worriedly, her lip almost quivering in anticipation of his answer.

"We were always friends, Jackie. And we are now, OK?"

"Oh, Steven." Her shoulders held high in excitement, Jackie's face illuminated as she yanked her friend in for a fierce hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Why?"

"Because you're not a jackass anymore!"

Carrying a beer in each hand, Kelso emerged from the kitchen with a glowing smile. "Alright! It's time to watch the _Terminator!"_ Immediately, Jackie looked over to find Hyde's face light up.

"Oh, man, that's what you got? Put it in!" he said, taking his beer and sitting at attention. Jackie giggled next to him as a glass of white wine was lowered over her head by Brooke's slim fingers.

"Oh, yay, Brooke!" she said with a wiggle, centering herself on the cushion. "Just what we need to get through all these invitations!" As Kelso slipped the tape into the VCR, Brooke caught his attention, as well as Hyde's.

"Before you start the movie, this is how it's going to work," she announced, "You two are going to help us separate the registry cards and slip them in the envelopes and seal. Got it?" Giving Kelso a strange look, Hyde started to speak his displeasure. "Don't even try it Hyde. You're Michael's best man," Brooke reminded him. "And it's your job."

" _No, s_ ee, _my_ job is to get him drunk and in trouble with a stripper before he gets married," Hyde clarified with a grin. But the scowl on Brooke's face told him that he wasn't as funny as he thought he was, not to her anyway. Hyde glanced over at Jackie and got the same disapproving frown. "Fine," he grumbled, "Gimme the stupid cards."

"Don't worry, man. If we get this done early, there's a huge party waiting for us next door! Two kegs and an open bar! Oh, yeah!"

Hyde wanted to be excited but as he made eye contact with Jackie, a silent agreement was made.

"Nah, man. I think I'm going to stay sober tonight."

"Yeah, me, too," Jackie seconded with a small smile, made just for him. Their stare lasted a little longer than necessary, but she could swear his eyes were bluer today. Plus, it was so nice to see him smile. It was his sweet one, in which the secret behind it was only for you. The two turned ahead, and Jackie smiled again at Brooke, who had her eyebrows raised in intrigue. "What?"

"Nothing," Brooke answered with a wry smirk before turning her attention to Kelso. "Hey Michael? Can you pull this out?" she asked, pointing to the large square coffee table. Kelso did, and each girl claimed a boy as her 'invitation buddy.'

With a smile, Jackie sat Hyde down beside her and gave him four stacks of business-card sized registry cards. He was quiet, listening intently, as she explained his job to him.

"OK, Steven. I need you to take one from each stack and put them together like this…"

Hyde watched as her delicate and perfectly-manicured hands piled together four-card stacks in front of him. Her body was so close, shoulder touching shoulder, that he felt strangely comforted as she continued.

"…then seal it and put it in this basket. Okay?"

Hyde nodded. "Yep."

"Oh, man. Conan the Barbarian is naked!" Kelso pointed out as Arnold Schwarzenegger's nude form stood upright, "This is awesome! You just can't go wrong with a movie that has a naked person in the first scene!"

* * *

One Hour Later

By the time he finished his fifth can of Budweiser, Hyde was feeling good, too good, as he gave a light smack to Jackie's jean-clad thigh underneath the coffee table, accompanied by his best attempt at pouting. "How many are left?"

"Um," Jackie started, mentally counting the remaining names on her list, "about twenty-five." Then she gasped quietly and finally looked at him; the feeling of his hand as it came to a rest high on her inner thigh had startled her, but going by his next statement, he was simply trying to comfort himself and gain a little sympathy from the one person he knew would give it freely today.

"I don't think I should drink anymore, Jackie."

"Shhhh!" Kelso interrupted, spastic as ever. "Linda Hamilton just took off her top! Rule number one in my house: No talking during sex scenes! Especially one where cyborgs are involved! Damn it, Hyde! _"_

"He's not a cyborg, you idiot! Reese is a regular person," Hyde slurred before sneering at Kelso and laying his head back against the couch, his hand still tucked between the warmth of Jackie's thighs. "If I drink more," he repeated more quietly to Jackie, "I'm going to end up drunk again…" He shifted his eyes to plead with her, hoping she would notice and understand, "and if I'm drunk again... God, these envelopes are making my tongue dry," he groused with a soured expression.

"Do you want some water, Steven?" Jackie asked as she continued to write.

He shook his head. "Water's not going to get rid of that rancid taste."

"How about some soda then?" she offered, never looking up.

" _No._ They only have orange soda," he complained.

Annoyed, Jackie rolled her eyes and dropped the calligraphy pen loudly. What the hell was up with him tonight? She had never seen him act like such big, whiny baby. He seemed almost… depressed.

"Steven, sit up," she demanded.

"Shhh!"

"Shut up, Michael, and just stack your cards!"

"I already did!"

A brief stare-down contest forced a surrender out of Kelso, allowing Jackie to return her attention to Hyde. "Steven, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just don't want to get drunk," he grumbled. It was true, and he was afraid, but he couldn't tell her that. Her presence was sending little swells of desire through his body, making him want to satisfy them with her lips, her tongue, her skin. As a drunken fool on Halloween, he had gotten a taste and now, that drunken fool was threatening a return as Hyde found himself craving more. Straightening himself up, Hyde moved onto the couch, earning him a confused look from Jackie.

"Steven. Where are you going? You're not going to finish helping me?"

"Shhhh!"

This time it was a scowl from Hyde and the sharp corner of a hurled registry card to the forehead that shut Kelso up. "I need a freakin' break, Jackie," Hyde said as he slouched back on the couch. "I can't lick anymore envelopes."

"Fine," she huffed, shoving his knee away from her with her pointy elbow. "Jerk. I didn't want your help anyway."

"Shhhh!"

With a groan, Hyde leaned down in Jackie's ear. "Hey. Cut it out. Come here," he said, sliding his arms underneath her armpits, lifting her off of the floor and plopping her body down beside him. "Watch the damn movie, huh? Take a break." The look on her face and her newly folded arms were beginning to set off his own stubborn defense systems. They glowered at each other for a moment, blinking, breathing in the tension that consumed their current relationship. "You know, it's amazing that Colin hasn't strangled you yet," Hyde decided to inform her.

Jackie scoffed. " _You_ didn't."

"I had weed, baby," he reminded her. "He's gotta deal with you sober."

Jackie's expression radiated hurt, and Hyde sighed regretfully.

"I'll help you in a minute, I promise. Can we just relax for a minute? My tongue needs a break."

Squeezing Brooke's thigh, Kelso laughed. "I swear I just said that last night, didn't I, dumplin'?"

She laughed with him.

Ignoring them, Jackie and Hyde continued their conversation. "Fine," Jackie whispered dismissively to Hyde, her pompous attitude steering her body into flippant movements as she lifted her bare feet onto his lap and lay down on her side to watch the movie. Once settled, she lifted her head. "I'm thirsty, Steven, and I would really _love_ some orange soda."

Hyde nodded. "Cool. The fridge is right back there," he pointed. "Oh, and while you're there, I could use some chocolate milk."

Her bottom lip poked out at him. "But I'm _really_ thirsty, Steven," she sulked softly.

A straight-faced attempt failed on Hyde's end. His lips parted; ready to deny to her but he turned away instead and sighed. "Damn it." Hyde moved her legs and stood up, decisively pointing down at her. "But you're licking the rest of those envelopes yourself. I'm done." he told her before heading for the kitchen.

"No, you're not," Jackie sang to herself.

"Shhh!"

* * *

53 Minutes Later

8:01 PM

With giddy anticipation, Jackie watched as Hyde licked and sealed their last envelope with a proud smile. "Last one," he announced, slapping the completed invitation in the appropriate basket and smirking at his teammate. "Now, let's get baked and go to a party."

Jackie squealed and threw her arms around his neck, swaying his body from side to side in triumph. "We beat them, Steven! We won!"

"That's not fair, man! We had to deal with the 'pee-pee' incident," Kelso complained, his mouth agape as he scowled at Brooke. "You just _had_ to make me bathe him!"

Before Brooke could react, Hyde jumped in. "No way, Kelso. We kicked your ass fair and square."

Nodding, Jackie got up from the floor to gloat, unashamed as she danced from side to side. "That's right! So, deal with it, Michael! Steven and I are just natural-born winners. So, unh, in your face, pee-pee boy!"

Extremely proud of his spunky invitation buddy, Hyde stood up and hooked his arm, inviting hers inside. "Nice one, Jackie."

"Why, thank you, Steven," she said, slipping her arm through.

"You are welcome. Well, pee-pee pants," Hyde said, shifting his attention to Kelso with a smug smirk, "my speed-writing partner, and I will be out back, smoking our victory joint."

"Well, wait," Brooke interrupted as she addressed Kelso, "Why don't you just take them downstairs?"

"OH!" Nearly taking a face dive into the carpet, Kelso scrambled to his feet. "My basement!" he exclaimed. "You gotta see what I did to it last month! Come on!"

Rolling her eyes, Jackie shook her head, piquing Hyde's curiosity as he followed the other three down to the lowest level of the house. "OK, so living all the way out here," Kelso explained, "I miss Point Place, you know? And where was the coolest place in Point Place?"

Hyde attempted an answer. "Uh, Mount Hump?"

"No. Stupid," Kelso said fluttering his eyes up with disgust. He led Hyde down the stairs and outstretched his arms as the layout of his basement revealed itself to surprised blue eyes. "It's Eric's basement, man!"

Taking his time with the final step, Hyde looked around the colorful, yet familiar, room. Straight ahead sat a small television set and facing that: a beat up, orange couch with two chairs flanking it on both sides—a lawn chair and a beaten up 'Hyde' chair as Kelso liked to call it.

"Look! It's your chair man!" Kelso patted the duct tape tattered piece of furniture with an excited smile. "Come on! Sit in it!"

Thinking that his friend had finally lost his grip on those last remaining brain cells, Hyde sighed and reluctantly moved forward with some assistance from Jackie.

"Come on, Steven, move," she insisted, her small hands on his back, inching him forward. Into view came a wagon-wheel coffee table, center-piecing the elaborate set-up. Hyde looked around in awe, his friends waiting with bated breath for his response, as he took in poster after poster, a replica helmet, a deep freeze, and a familiar looking stereo…

"Yeah, that's the actual stereo, man. Eric's mom let me have it. He doesn't know," Kelso snickered.

"So, what do you think, Steven?" Jackie asked him.

"Well," Hyde began, his eyes turned to his lanky friend, "I take back everything I ever said about you Kelso. _This_ is the dumbest thing you've ever done," he said with a smirk.

Unphased by Hyde's lack of enthusiasm, Kelso's face lit up. "Oh, wait!" he exclaimed, "I forgot one thing!"

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

Red-eyed and grinning from ear to ear, Hyde nodded in appreciation of his surroundings. "Man, Kelso, I think this might be the smartest thing you've ever done," he declared as he passed a three-foot-tall bong to Kelso, who took a lengthy hit.

"I know! I'm even thinking about doing this as a side job. You know, for a few thousand dollars, I'll replicate your skinny friend's childhood basement! I mean, who wouldn't want that?" Kelso passed the large bong to Jackie, who giggled and took a moderate hit.

"Wow, I haven't hit it in soooo long." Her eyes widened as she gasped. "Oh! You know what else I haven't done in a long time?" Producing a Twinkie from the box at her feet, Jackie un-wrapped and shoved a yellow cream-filled cake in her mouth—whole. "Yum! Ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Jackie laughed hysterically as she passed the bong to a paranoid Brooke.

"Oh, my god," Brooke nearly cried as she took a hit. "I am not ready for this wedding! I have no centerpieces, the DJ isn't booked, the seating arrangement isn't finished, I haven't written my vows, I don't have my shoes…" She turned to Jackie. "And you! We still don't have bride maid's gowns! Oh, my God! And I can't find a store that has white tuxes available on our date!" In near panic, Brooke grabbed Jackie's box of Twinkies. "Gimme those!" Shoving one in her mouth, she passed the gigantic bong to Hyde, who looked confused.

Water bubbled as he sucked and finally released the smoke from the bong, letting it enter his lungs. "Wait. Did she say _white_ tuxes?"

Kelso nodded, a brilliant smile lighting him up. "Yeah, man. I decided that me and all my groomsmen are going to wear white tuxedos with the sleeves rolled up! Man, we're going to look just like Crocket and Tubbs from Miami Vice!" He shook his head happily as he passed to Jackie who was suffering from a laughing fit, the half-eaten Twinkie still in her mouth.

"Steven Hyde is going to wear a _white_ tuxedo! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha…!" Falling off the lawn chair and onto the floor, Jackie never noticed Brooke Bogart the bong.

She took a small hit. "I keep telling him it's too much white! I mean we're pushing it with my dress as it is! Don't forget how we met!" Brooke said to Hyde, shaking her head as she passed him the bong.

Hyde's face twisted in horror. "Wait. No. I can't wear white. It's not natural. I wear white and then what? Next thing you know I'm wearing sweatbands and tennis shorts! No way, man! I'm not doing it!" Hyde snagged the Twinkie box from Brooke. "Gimme that!"

* * *

 **Next Door**

 **Brian and Cathy's House**

 **Front Porch**

 **9:01 PM**

 _"Cum on feel the noise" by Quiet Riot can be heard loudly through the door._

 _Cum on feel the noize  
Girls rock your boys  
We'll get wild, wild, wild,  
Wild, wild, wild..._

Bradley Kelso, burrito-wrapped in a Superman blanket, squirmed in Hyde's arms as everyone waited for someone to open the door and let them inside. "It's locked?" Hyde asked Kelso. "Cause the little guy's ready to bolt, man," he told him, referring to Kelso's antsy son.

"Oh," Kelso laughed, opening the front door with his free hand, his other holding his daughter. "No. It's open." He let Brooke inside first and walked in behind her, leaving Hyde to step aside for Jackie, getting her out of the typhoon-like weather outside. Last to walk in was Hyde. Looking around, he set Bradley down, unrolled him and watched him run off behind his sister toward the basement.

"All the kids are down there," Jackie practically had to yell over the music, earning her an understanding nod. "It's a huge playroom down there!"

"So, you know these people?" Hyde asked her as Kelso and Brooke disappeared together into the crowd. Jackie nodded and took off her coat.

"Come on, Hyde!" he heard Kelso yell over the music, "The bar's back here!"

Easing him around, yanking his jacket off, Jackie smiled. "Just stick by me," she said, hanging it up with her own and confiscating his hand. "Come on. We'll go find some non-orange soda."

Without protest, Hyde allowed himself to be led through the dark and crowded living room. His first observation was that everyone was in costume—it was a belated Birthday/Halloween party, according to Kelso. His second observation: everyone was shit-faced drunk. As Hyde continued to walk, his attention locking on the girl who guided him through the crowd. Her body swayed to the music as she moved toward the bar, her spare hand high in the air, rocking in rhythm with her incredible hips.

Watching her—smiling, laughing, greeting people Hyde didn't know—as she danced to something other than disco, Hyde found himself jealous of Colin—jealous that he had this adult version of her. She was playful tonight, relaxed, and so fucking sexy as she danced and led him through the room. He would follow her anywhere.

Peeking over her shoulder, Jackie smiled at him, vaulting him backwards in time. Exhilarated by the feeling, Hyde grinned at his electrifying, brunette-focused youth, pulling him in with blue-green eyes and pink lips.

As the they approached the bar, they were greeted by Kelso, who held his hand out toward Hyde and spoke to a guy Hyde had never met before. "This is my best buddy, Hyde!" Kelso exclaimed, throwing his arm over Hyde's shoulder, "The guy I was telling you about!" A hand reached out, and Hyde shook it accordingly.

"What's up," the man said. "I'm Brian."

"What's up," Hyde replied, gesturing around himself. "Great party, man."

Brian smiled. "Thanks. Mi casa es su casa. Help yourself to whatever. Hey, you want a beer?" Hesitating, Hyde realized that he was in a pinch.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks."

As Hyde took his plastic cup full of beer, Jackie smacked his arm. "Steven, I thought we weren't going to drink tonight," she quietly reminded him. The idiot. Hadn't he learned his lesson from the other night? The two of them drunk and unsupervised only resulted in trouble—namely: sex. Widened blue eyes met hers as Hyde narrowed the gap between them and spoke in her ear.

"I can't ask for a soda after just meeting the guy. He'll think I'm a complete downer."

" _So_. Why don't you just tell him…Tell him…" Her words involuntarily stifled, Hyde decided to interject.

"Tell him what? That I can't get drunk or else I might try to nail my ex-girlfriend, again. Yeah, I don't think he needs that much information." Stepping back, Hyde regretted it the instant he said it, especially after seeing the shocked look on her face. They stood, stunned, staring at each other, until Jackie spoke.

"Fine," she mumbled, a little peeved that he had actually verbalized the thing that they had, only hours before, agreed not to mention. "Just sip it slowly."

"I plan on it."

* * *

One Hour Later

 _"Red, Red Wine" by UB40 wafts throughout the crowded house._

 _Red, red wine_

 _Goes to my head_

 _Makes me forget that I_

 _Still need her so..._

Taking a swig from his third cup of beer, Hyde let his friend's voice fade into the background the moment his bloodshot eyes wandered toward the brunette who danced in the middle of the crowd. A guy about his age, but built like Kelso, had a hold on her hips as they swayed to the reggae beat, both laughing at something only they could hear. Hyde's vision drifted downward to the spot where her tight fitting, peach-colored sweater revealed her midriff, and he watched as the guy's fingers brushed over the creamy flesh of her sides on their way to the small of her back.

His gaze intense, Hyde couldn't help but notice the guy's eyes sweep over Jackie's body. Jealousy surged through his chest and up into his throat. Still dancing, Jackie turned and took notice of his gaze. He could see that she was unaware of anything but the fun she was having when she smiled brightly at him and waved. "Hey," she seemed to mouth, prompting a newfangled pang to replace his jealousy. His body calming, Hyde returned her smile with a subtle grin. He needed to get a grip and let this go. She wasn't his.

Twisting around, Hyde picked up his conversation with Kelso.

"…so, I figure since you're half-black, I mean, even though I kind of have my doubts about that, that _you_ would be Tubbs and _I_ would be Sonny Crocket. What do you think?"

Hyde cleared his throat. "Yeah, man, sounds good," he offered, his mind still pre-occupied with the raven-haired girl a few yards away. "Hey, who's that guy over there with Jackie?"

His eyes following Hyde's line of sight, Kelso turned around to see. "Oh, that's um, Kevin, Brian's cousin. He works with Jackie. He's how I found my house. Why?"

Hyde shrugged, and Kelso might have let Hyde's interest in the matter slide if he hadn't still been glaring over at the two like a hungry hawk.

"Man, are you jealous?" Kelso asked, laughing.

Hyde's eyes finally broke from his ex. "What? No. Why would I be jealous?"

"Uh, maybe cause some dude has his hands all over your little make-out buddy."

"She's not my make-out buddy. I could care less _who_ has their hands on her. I've got a girlfriend."

"Whatever. Come on; we need more beer." Kelso gestured for Hyde to follow him back to the bar. "You can beat up the guy grabbing your girlfriend's ass later. Agh!" he yelped upon the intense pain of Hyde's fist plowing into his back. "Man, I do _not_ miss that!"

Pissed and now paranoid that some jerk-off was grabbing Jackie's ass, Hyde kept his eyes on her during his journey to the bar. No ass-grabbing as of yet, he concluded as he sat down on a stool next to Kelso. He wasn't sure exactly what the hell he would do if it happened, but he knew it wouldn't be good. Taking a swig of his beer, Hyde turned to face forward, away from his ex-girlfriend; she was unintentionally driving him crazy. All of it was fucking crazy. His entire line of thinking was ludicrous, and he knew it. Jackie wasn't his, she was Colin's, and it was _his_ problem if some jack-hole had his hands all over her. He briefly switched his thinking over to his own girlfriend, who he was slowly growing to resent; why the hell did she have to leave? If she hadn't, it would have been her that he took to the canceled Packer's game, sparing him from this burning feeling in his chest and all the other stupidity he was enduring tonight.

"Hey, Steven," Jackie, her voice raspy, said in his ear, pulling him away from his thoughts, "Whatcha doin'?"

"Drinking my beer," he said curtly, hoping she would catch on that he was angry. "Why?"

"I don't know," she answered with a shrug, oblivious to his tone as she finagled his beer, took a few swigs, and sat down on the bar stool beside him. "God, I was so thirsty."

"Yeah, I bet." Hyde snagged his beer back. "Why don't you go drink your little friend's beer," he snipped, motioning toward the crowd. "I'm sure he'd love to give you whatever you want."

"What," Jackie asked, laughing. "What are you talking about?"

Hyde turned sideways to face her and scanned her body from head to toe. His hand followed the path his eyes had taken in a flailing motion. "So, Colin just lets you… you know?"

"Let's me what?" Jackie appeared confused as she finished his beer, and it made him angrier.

His eyes and hands continued to indict her, along with his mouth. "Wear... _this_ … type of…"

Jackie re-evaluated her own outfit. "A sweater and jeans?"

"Yeah. Pretty racy for a party, don't you think?"

"Steven. What the hell are you talking about? You were once married to a professional skank _,_ " Jackie playfully reminded him, "She didn't even know what clothes _were_."

"Yeah, well… what about this." Startling her, Hyde orbited her exposed bellybutton with his index finger, his accusatory eyes never leaving hers. But he wasn't prepared for the look she gave him in return.

Jackie shook her head, clearly offended as she rose from her seat. "I cannot believe you."

"Wait," Hyde said, hindering her escape with his arms. "I didn't mean it like that." With arms crossed over her chest, Jackie appeared extremely interested in what he did mean. A terse elevation of her eyebrows, and a few irritated blinks, impelled him to start explaining himself before his shins became her personal kicking posts. "Oh… well, it's..." Struggling to get the words out, Hyde huffed and puffed, gesturing his meaning. "You're... and he was... It's just... you know. You're really… I can't, you know!"

"No! I don't know! Spill it Steven or you're going to end up limping home!"

Hyde huffed and shook his head. How the fuck did he get himself into this situation. His leg bobbed uncontrollably. This, right here, was why he smoked weed. "All I meant was that you're… you're always going to be the hottest chick in the room, OK? And you should just be careful. Guys like to get grabby, and I should know!" He pointing to himself. "I'm grabby!"

Cocking her head, Jackie started to smile. "Oh, my God. You were jealous."

Turning in his seat, Hyde shook his head out of indignation. He'd just made a huge mistake.

"You were, weren't you?" she hummed, settling back into her seat.

"No," Hyde responded. "I was just lookin' out for you."

"Uh-huh. Oh, by the way," she teased as she reached over and grabbed his beer, taking another quick swig, "That was Kevin. He's gay."

Twisting his head slightly to meet her gaze, Hyde nodded. "Of course, he is."

A sharp laugh from Jackie broke through to Hyde, and he couldn't help but laugh at himself.

* * *

Forty-Two Minutes Later

 _"I'm on fire" by Bruce Springsteen plays throughout the busy house._

 _Standing by the bar, Kelso and Brooke chatted and laughed with the host of the party, Brian, while Jackie and Hyde stood nearby, talking quietly to each other._ To Jackie's surprise, she was really enjoying herself. The party guests were friendly, most of them strangers, and the house was starkly lit, putting no pressure on her to hide her flirtations with Hyde. Over the last forty minutes, they had passed most of the time by the bar, breaking their rule as they shared a rum and coke, laughing at things dredged up from the past. Hyde stood between Jackie's knees as she sat on a bar stool and smacked his chest.

"Steven," she laughed. "We did not!"

"Yes, we did," he swore to her for a second time, "I can't believe you don't remember."

She tried to recall as he rolled his eyes and set his hands on either side of her thighs to brace himself as he leaned in close.

"Come on. Remember, right after we first, you know…"

 _Hey little girl, is your daddy home?  
Did he go away and leave you all alone?  
Mm hmm. I got a bad desire  
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire... _

_"We really shouldn't be doing this, Steven." From her back, Jackie had moaned toward the ceiling of the El Camino, her arms pinned helplessly above her head. "I mean, maybe it was a mistake, what we did, we really… well, we probably," she corrected upon the feeling of Hyde's lips as they kissed their way up her bare sternum, "probably shouldn't do it again, you know. When Michael gets back…"_

 _"Shhh…" he hushed softly against her skin._

 _Jackie's head fell backwards when his warm, wet mouth finally clamped down on her breast, her eyes lazily settling on the drive-in speaker. "Oh, my God."_

 _Hyde's movements were slow as he worked over every inch of her exposed flesh, so unlike Michael in the way he handled her, so patient and focused. His hand released its grasp on her wrists, and she used them to put pressure on the back of his head as he suckled and nipped at the aching peaks of her breasts. "Steven," she breathed out, already lost under his spell. "What if people see?"_

 _"It's pouring, Jackie, no one can see. No one's even paying attention to us," he assured her as he settled over her nearly naked form. "And stop talking about him." Hyde then quelled her doubts with a slow, deep kiss._

 _Tell me now, baby, is he good to you?  
And can he do to you the things that I do?  
Uh, huh, I can take you higher  
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire_

His eyebrows jumping, Hyde grinned. "Remember now?" he asked her quietly.

Staring into his eyes as if the memory were playing in the vast shadows of his pupils, Jackie nodded. "I remember," she assured him, finally looking away, feeling a little exposed by his gaze. She had forgotten how intense his eyes could be. Taking a deep breath and a nervous drink of their mutual cup of rum and Coke, Jackie pushed Hyde backward and moved to get up.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Oh, you know, I'm tired. I think I'm just going to grab the kids and head back to Michael and Brooke's. It's was nice seeing you today, Steven."

"Yeah, I think I'm going to head out too," he said. "It's going to take me forever to get home in this damn monsoon." Gracelessly, he smiled. "Come on; show me where my jacket is."

After saying her goodbyes to Brian, Kevin, Kelso, and Brooke, letting them know she'd be taking the kids so they could stay, Jackie went down into the basement with Hyde to wrangle up the rug-rats. A few minutes later, at the front door, she watched Hyde kneel down and spin Bradley around as he rustled with his complicated coat system. "What the hell, Jackie? It's broken."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Here," she said, exchanging Bradley for an exhausted looking Betsy, "She's ready."

While Jackie buttoned Bradley up, Hyde smiled at his God-daughter, who now stood before him.

"Hey, Bets."

 _"_ Uncle Hyde, I don't want to go home," she whined, rubbing her eyes and throwing her arms over his shoulders. "I'm not tired."

He picked her up and shot Jackie a grin. "Well, your Aunt Jackie's being a huge meanie," he said. "I kept telling her, 'No, Aunt Jackie, we should let Betsy and Bradley stay up all night and eat lots of candy.' But she said _No Way_. Sorry, Dollface, I tried."

Jackie smacked his arm. "Don't listen to him, Betsy. He wears sunglasses indoors."

"You do?" Betsy asked him.

Hyde pointed at her. "No, I _used to_ , but you know what?" Betsy shook her head as Hyde whispered in her ear, loud enough for Jackie to hear. "Aunt Jackie used to like it. Shh."

Jackie shook her head, trying like hell not to smile as Betsy giggled, thrilled at her and Uncle Hyde's new secret about Aunt Jackie.

* * *

 **Kelso and Brooke's House**

 **Twenty Minutes Later**

Jackie and Hyde met back in the hallway after each putting a kid to bed—Hyde had tucked in his God-Daughter and Jackie her God-Son, leaving the two adults with total reign over the Kelso home.

"I guess I should head out then," Hyde said, giving her a false smile.

"Are you sure? It's really bad out there." The sound of wind whistling as it battered the house's windows seemed to back up her statement. "I think you should at least wait until the rain slows a little." Patting his chest, Jackie smiled giddily. "Come on, Steven. I'll make you something to eat in the meantime. But we've gotta hurry," she squealed as she scampered ahead of him. "Saturday Night Live is about to start!"

Shaking his head, Hyde followed, his mind recalling all those nights spent cuddled on Forman's couch, drinking Kitty's cocoa and watching Saturday Night Live together. As he stepped into the kitchen to find Jackie digging in the fridge, it occurred to him that hadn't seen much of the show in the last year—Jessica wasn't into it.

"Okay," Jackie announced, holding up two white deli packages. "Turkey or Ham?"

Hyde's eyes danced between the two. "Uhhh, turkey."

For a reason he could not figure out, Jackie's face lit up, and Hyde suddenly felt his chest warm. "I think they have cocoa, too!" With that, he chuckled and leaned back against the counter, content to watch her patter around. "Oh, wait here," she told him, leaving the kitchen. When she returned, a minute later, she was holding two piles of clothes. "This one's for you," she said, handing him a pile, "and this one's for me."

"What are these?" he asked her, looking at the flannel pants and blue t-shirt he was now holding.

"They're jammies. Michael's. Just put them on. You can't sleep in your jeans."

"I'm not sleeping here, and, even if I was, I'm not wearing another man's clothes. It's a personal choice every man has to make for himself."

"Steven. Michael never wears them. I bought them for him as a Christmas gift, but Brooke told me afterward that he'd never wear them." She grimaced out of disgust. "He sleeps in the nude, now."

Hyde face contorted to match hers. "Yeah, I didn't need to know that."

"Sorry. But just put them on. And hurry, Saturday Night Live comes on in…" Jackie looked at the clock. "Oh my God, seven minutes! Hurry! Go!" she insisted, pushing him into the living room. "I won't look."

"Jackie, I'm not spending the—"

But she was gone, off to get changed into pajamas.

"Damn it."

With her gone, the living room was quiet, but outside, the wind whistled loudly. Rain poured steadily. Sighing, Hyde grabbed the remote off the coffee table and turned the television on, flipping through a few channels until he caught the tail end of the eleven o'clock news. Streets were flooded. Roads were closed, including the southbound lanes of the highway leading home to Point Place.

Tossing the remote back onto the coffee table, Hyde plopped onto the couch. "Crap."

* * *

Living Room

11:33

 _"Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"_

Stretching out on the couch, Hyde watched as a flannel-pajama-clad Jackie scurried into the room, carrying a plate of sandwiches and a cup of cocoa. Hyde sat up.

"No, don't get up!" She set the plate down and handed him the mug, filled to the brim with mini-marshmallows.

"Thank you," he said as she ran off again, quickly returning with a second cup of cocoa, placing it on the coffee table next to Hyde's. "Oh, we missed the first sketch," she whined, still in motion as she opened up the hope chest behind the couch.

"Jackie, will you sit down?" Hyde griped, "You're making me dizzy."

Her head popped up from behind the couch, her puppy dog eyes pouting at him. "But I was getting you a blanket and a pillow."

Feeling like a jerk, Hyde stood up to help her, choosing his blanket and pillow quickly. "Thank you. Now, will you please relax?"

"Yes," she said with a smile, taking a place next to him on the couch and settling them both in. The show's guest host droned on as Hyde sat quietly, strangely awed as Jackie placed a blanket over him and handed him his cocoa. He found himself almost frozen, mentally uncomfortable with how physically at ease he felt next to her. The damn pajamas felt like heaven, the cocoa was the perfect temperature, the couch was plush, and Jackie was 'home' personified. What the _fuck_ was he doing? How did he end up back underneath another blanket with her only three days after their last encounter? It was too soon; he could still remember, could still feel her, taste her. This wasn't good.

After a series of stealthy glances in her direction, a thought crossed his mind: _this_ is what it would be like with her. "Huh," involuntarily slipped from his lips. It was pretty damn nice.

"What'd you say?"

"What? Oh, uh, I said," Hyde pointed casually at the TV. "It's Lenny from Laverne and Shirley."

"Yeah, he's funny," she said, placing her head on his shoulder. "Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm so glad we've decided to be friends again," she said. "It's nice, you know. I missed you." Platonically, she snuggled against him. "A lot."

Hyde nodded, not knowing what to say. He merely kissed the top of her head as they both settled in to watch 'Ronald Reagan' entertain them...

* * *

One Hour Later

Still on the couch, with the lights out, Hyde could barely keep his eyes open. It was the position he was in: on his back, with Jackie sleeping beside him. Her head rested contentedly on his shoulder and the gentle breathes she took were lulling him to sleep. His bloodstream was fairly clear of alcohol at this point, leaving him sober and tired, and really, really comfortable.

Stretching his arm to reach the remote, Hyde managed to turn off the TV, stirring Jackie in the process. She moaned in his ear when he tried to get up. "Where you going?"

"Right there," he said pointing, unaware that her eyes were still closed, "on the other side of the couch."

"No." Her arm plopped protectively over his chest and pulled him closer. "Stay," she whined. "Please." Raising her head slightly, Jackie placed her mouth against Hyde's. He couldn't help but close his eyes upon the pillowy softness of her lips as they puckered to meet his. It was a simple, but slow peck, and then another. Upon the third, she sighed, making his body ignite as she purred against his eager mouth. "Colin."

Hyde froze. She was asleep and kissing her boyfriend, not him.

"Love you, baby," she added, giving Hyde a tender squeeze. "I love you _so_ much." Her body stilled once again and her breathing returned to its gentle rhythm.

"Night, Jackie." Hyde kissed her forehead and slipped off the couch, covering her sleeping form with the blanket. "Sweet dreams, Doll." Grabbing his things, Hyde decided to leave and take his chances out in the storm. At least out there, he wouldn't feel so out of control.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Day in the Life of Steven Hyde**

* * *

 **November 4, 1984**

 **2:57 AM**

 **Point Place, WI**

 **Hyde's Apartment**

Soaked to the bone and exhausted from driving though the pouring rain, Hyde stumbled into his dark apartment and threw his keys across the living room. The drive that should have taken thirty minutes had taken him nearly two hours. He didn't even bother turning on the lights as he headed straight for his bedroom; he had every corner of this place memorized. But it was different tonight, same as last night: lonely and cold. Something was noticeably missing.

His girlfriend.

She was usually here these days, spending the night and bringing warmth to his pathetic existence. Jessica reminded him a lot of Jackie and, on several occasions, Hyde had suspected that it was what had originally attracted him to her, other than the fact that she was beautiful. She was the only one to ever fill the incredible emptiness that Jackie, an intrusive, persistent busybody, had left behind years before.

He accepted, even secretly liked, that Jessica mothered him to a degree, like Jackie had, and always made sure he knew how loved he was, always. She really did love him; he was convinced of that, loved him the same way Jackie once had. But now a nagging, painful surge of pressure was invading his chest, since the moment he heard those words fall from the brunette's lips again—words intended for someone else. They had been _his_ first, though, and she had meant them once, for him _. I love you, Steven. I love you so much._

Closing his eyes, Hyde let the bed catch his fall. Her words weren't his anymore. He had given them away without thinking. And now, they belonged to some other guy—a guy who probably deserved them.

After peeling off his wet clothing, Hyde sat in his boxers and wondered if a glass of water was worth the effort of walking into his kitchen. He decided no, and slipped beneath his cold covers as he sifted through the night's events in his head. It was obvious to him that his thoughts were being rewired, that Jackie was screwing with his head. It was only when Jessica had been home that he was given a reprieve.

He wished she had stayed.

After lying there a while, Hyde lifted his arm over the covers to get a look at his watch but it wasn't there—Jackie still had it after his fight on the boat. "Damn it." Looking over, his alarm clock told him that it was 3:27 am. He was exhausted, but sleep, something that seemed inevitable only hours before, seemed impossible now. Lying on that couch, nearly falling asleep with Jackie in his arms, felt familiar. It felt right. And her lips when she'd kissed him… Jesus Christ, he had wanted her. Bad. Even dressed in pink and white flannel pajamas, she was sexy. He could hardly believe how beautiful she had become. The moment she had kissed him and sighed against his mouth, her knee had risen up over his body and worked up and down, making him erect. It was all Hyde could think about as he reached into his boxers and began to stroke the throbbing ache that Jackie had so innocently provoked. Shutting his eyes to the sensation, he let himself imagine that it was Jackie he was inside. It was _her_ body wrapped around him so tightly, _her_ inner walls riding him to orgasm.

Startled from his fantasy, Hyde jumped slightly when the phone rang.

"What the hell," he muttered as he released his grip on himself and quickly reached for the phone. "Hello?"

" _Oh, thank God,"_ Jessica breathed out in a sigh of relief, _"I'm so glad you're okay."_

"Jess? What's up?" he asked, glancing at the clock again. "Why are you calling so late?"

" _I heard about the collapse at the stadium. The news said that a hundred people were injured and some were dead, and I couldn't get a hold of you... I don't have Kelso's phone number with me, and the Formans weren't home, and…"_

"Hey, hey, baby, I'm fine. We didn't go." He heard her take in a deep breath and smiled to himself. God, it felt good to be loved. "Jess?"

" _I'm here. I…I just…I miss you. I was really worried."_

A surge of intense guilt hit Hyde, and he wondered if he even deserved her love; only minutes before he had been satisfying himself to images of another chick. And only hours before that he had been kissing said chick. "I miss you, too," he said softly, suddenly wishing Jessica was beside him. It would make things so much easier.

" _You do?"_ she asked, her voice full of hope.

"Yeah, I do. I wish you would just come back already," he grumbled, and when she didn't respond, he continued. "Jess, why can't you just tell your dad that…that you're sick and you want to come home."

Jessica laughed. " _Because I'm a terrible liar. Honey, I have to do this. I don't want to be a waitress my whole life. This is my chance to get my foot in the door at my dad's company."_

Hyde sighed loudly into the phone, annoyed that his girlfriend was being so aberrantly stubborn, while at the same time being proud of the fact that she had goals and aspirations. "Yeah, I know. Hey, where are you right now?" he asked, changing the subject and wondering if she had stayed up so late just to talk to him.

" _In my hotel room."_

"Alone?"

" _No, I'm with my other boyfriend. He was really worried about you, too."_

Hyde chuckled into the phone. "So, what are you doing?"

" _Lying in bed, thinking about you,"_ she told him quietly, filling his mind with the gorgeous girl on the other end of the line in various stages of undress.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, his voice taking on a jokingly leering quality. "What are you wearing?" He waited for her to laugh, but instead was greeted with a small sigh that seemed to lodge in his groin.

" _A pair of black, lacy panties and one of your white undershirts."_ The image implanted itself into his head—his girlfriend's tits visible through the nearly transparent material of one of his wifebeaters, her lacy little panties—banishing any lingering thoughts of Jackie and making his stiff dick even stiffer.

"Oh, fuck…" he whispered into the phone, letting his hand wander back into his boxers to stroke himself. "I miss you," he said, wishing more than anything that she was there with him.

" _I miss you, too,"_ she whined. _"I wish I was there in bed with you…"_ Her voice trailed off, leaving him with his own ideas about what she wanted to do, and emboldening him to continue speaking.

"Lift up the shirt, baby," he said, half order half request, as he gently tugged on himself. There was a quiet rustle of fabric before she giggled softly and spoke again.

" _It's off. What would you like me to do now?"_

He moaned slightly before he answered. "Pinch your nipples." Her breathy moan cut through his voice as she complied. "Fuck. You have such gorgeous tits, Jess." His eyes fell shut as he imagined her touching herself.

" _Are you touching yourself, baby?"_ Jess asked quietly, her voice sexy and mellow in his ear.

"God… Yes…"

" _I love watching you stroke your cock, Steven,"_ she practically moaned in his ear. _"It makes me so wet for you,"_ she said, her voice growing breathy as she spoke.

"Fuck, Jess," he groaned her name into the phone, feeling his cock jump as he imagined sliding into her.

" _Oh,_ _honey, I want you inside me..."_ She paused when her words earned her a loud moan. _"But first, I need you to use your mouth on me. I come so hard when you fuck me with your tongue."_ Her voice got higher and breathier as she spoke, and Hyde imagined her lying on the hotel bed, her fingers deep inside her lacy black panties.

"Jess," he whispered into the mouthpiece, his throat going dry as his wrist pumped over his engorged shaft faster and harder. He could almost taste her as his hips began to thrust upwards into his fist.

" _Fuck me harder, Steven,"_ she whimpered, and Hyde closed his eyes, pulling up a clear mental picture of how she had looked beneath him the last time they had been together. It was her sexy moan over the line that pushed him over the edge, making him spurt all over his stomach. They were both quiet for several seconds, and Hyde lay motionless. His mind finally clear, after hours of stress, Hyde stared at his ceiling and cursed himself for betraying the woman on the other end of the line. He listened to each soft puff of air that entered his ear and silently apologized to her.

"Hey, Jess, hold on, okay?"

" _Okay."_ Hyde briefly set the phone down and left his bed to clean up and when he returned to the phone, he heard her giggle softly. _"You feel better, sweetie?"_

Still guilt-ridden, he settled back under his covers and sighed. "Yes, baby. Thank you. I needed that."

" _So, are you going to tell me what's wrong now?"_

A burst of air left Hyde's lungs in amusement. How the hell could she tell? She was like a sorceress, sometimes. "No. But I'm think good now. I think I can sleep," he said, closing his eyes.

" _Alright. I'll call you tomorrow."_

"Okay."

" _I love you."_

Fuck! Shit! This is where he would kiss her instead of answering, returning whatever sentiment he felt without having to commit to the actual words. But on the freaking phone, what the hell could he say that wouldn't hurt her feelings? Chicks were always losing their damn minds over those three words. And the couple of times he'd given in and said them out loud, they blew up in his face.

 _"It's okay, Steven,"_ she said, interrupting his thoughts. _"I know how you feel about me. I just wish there was a word for it, so you could tell me every day."_

The understanding and playful tone of her voice made him feel like a complete lowlife. He didn't deserve her. "I would, Jess. I swear to God, I would."

" _I know, baby. Goodnight."_

"Night," Hyde muttered, aware of her disappointment as he hung up the phone and rolled onto his stomach, facing his waterlogged window. He wasn't usually one to stare at rain, but it was moving and changing and distracting his mind from the two women who had him all twisted up inside. But it was the soft ripple of water hitting pavement outside that soothed his senses as he closed his eyes, finally finding sleep.

* * *

 _In what seemed like suspended motion, Hyde took hold of the two large, brass handles and pulled both doors of the church open, triggering a stern-faced crowd of two hundred to turn expectantly towards him. The thundering reverberation of spectators rotating in their pews startled him into frozen terror and left only his eyes mobile as they scanned over the unfamiliar faces that stared back at him._

 _A delicate hand, colored pink at its finger tips, reached across his cheek and pulled his head right until his gaze settled on a girl._

" _Jackie."_

 _Jackie lowered her hand and relief washed over him when she smiled. "It's time, Steven," she said, easing his nerves instantly as he admired her attire. A few soft curls framed her face while the remainder of her hair was pulled up, disappearing beneath a flowing white veil. Her body was draped in white silk that took on the shape of her body, beginning just above her breasts and gently falling over every curve until it reached the Berber floor._

" _God, you're beautiful," he murmured, forgetting the crowded room that watched them._

" _You ready?" she asked, hooking her arm through his. Hyde thought about it for a moment. Was he ready? Warily, he nodded and watched her beam, calling up a million memories in his mind. "Oh, Steven. I've been waiting so long for this day…"_

* * *

 **Sunday November 4, 1984**

 **10:16 am**

Hyde woke up to the annoying, high-pitched ring of his telephone, grumbling profanities at his unknown caller. "Hello!"

" _Hyde! I mean… Crap. Steven?"_

"Jackie?"

" _Steven! I cannot believe you,"_ she shouted, stinging his eardrum and making him cringe as she continued, _"That storm was terrible last night, and you just left without letting anyone know!"_

"I didn't want to wake you."

Jackie sighed loudly. _"Well, I guess you made it home okay... Moron! You could have been killed!"_

"Yeah, well, I wasn't," he said dismissively. "So, how'd you get my number, anyway?"

" _From Michael."_

"You're still there?"

" _Yeah. Brooke and Donna and I have to shop today. We still need to find our dresses."_

"Hm. Yeah, you…" Hyde trailed off, suddenly detecting the disgusting, yet enticing, sounds of chewing in his ear. Man, he was starving. "What in the hell are you eating?"

" _Pancakes,"_ Jackie bragged noisily into his ear, making his mouth fall open with envy with every one of her taunting moans. _"Mmm, they're good, too. It's too bad you aren't here to enjoy them—Mmm-mmm-mmm—'cause Brooke makes the best blueberry pancakes!"_

"Blueberry?"

" _Yeah, they're freakin' awesome, Hyde!"_ Kelso screeched loudly into the phone. _"Too bad you missed them!"_

"Hey. Tell him to shut up for me."

Jackie laughed. _"Well, they are really good, Steven. And if you had told me you were leaving, I could have talked you out of it and told you about Brooke's awesome Sunday morning pancakes. But… you didn't. Well, I'm going to eat my breakfast now! Bye!"_

"Wait."

" _What?"_

"I…" Without warning, Hyde's nerves choked him into silence. "Never mind."

" _I had fun last night, too, Steven… I'll see ya!"_

Hyde grinned at her assumption. "See ya, Jackie," he said as she hung up the phone, shaking his head in disbelief. It wasn't what he was going to say, but whatever. It was close enough.

Hanging up the phone, Hyde looked around at his darkened bedroom, concluding that it was still storming outside, and debated whether or not to go back to sleep. The thought of having another freaking wedding dream about Jackie didn't appeal to him, though, so he got up.

His apartment was cold, but quiet, as he shuffled through it on his way to the kitchen in search of something warm to eat. "Freakin' Pancakes," he muttered, kicking himself for leaving Kelso's house the night before. He knew there was no food at his place. And as he opened and closed cabinet doors, it became obvious that he was going to starve to death with his girlfriend away. He was the cooker but she was the shopper; it had been that way since the day they met. It began with her going along with him in her desire to be with him, until one day she just brought his groceries to him, explaining that shopping with him was like shopping with a crabby toddler in need of a nap. So now, as he stared at his empty fridge, Hyde realized that he would have to go to the grocery store on his own.

* * *

Seven Hours Later

6:03 pm

Sitting on his living room couch, still in his robe and watching the video for "Jump" by Van Halen, Hyde grimaced and took a bite of his cold pizza, wondering when in the hell David Lee Roth had become such a lovely woman. Pulling him from his thoughts was the brief buzz of his doorbell and when Hyde opened his front door, he saw Eric's smiling, soaking-wet face.

"Hey, man."

"Hey," Hyde replied, returning to his slothful position on the couch. "Where's Donna?"

"Out shopping with Jackie and Brooke." Eric stepped inside and instantly thieved a piece of Hyde's pizza. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? Nothing." He smiled. "Absolutely nothing. And it's incredible."

"Really? Incredible?" Eric asked, eying the unkempt Hyde and his messy apartment suspiciously. "Gross pizza, no sex, and this _disaster_ of an apartment?"

Without taking his eyes of the tube, Hyde lifted his left hand which held a can of beer. "I have beer, I have a phone, and I have cable," he said, lifting the remote. "I'm good for weeks, man."

"Yeah, OK." Eric said, shrugging his shoulders as he took his seat. "Hey…" He smirked wickedly and pointed at the television while he grabbed one of Hyde's beers. "Has the one with the blonde rolling around and singing about how she's not a virgin come on yet?"

Hyde shook his head. "No, man. But that's the one I'm waiting for. She's pretty hot." Making a face at himself, he turned to Eric. "Man, Forman, you're right. I need to get the hell out of here. We should go out."

'Ohhh. But it's so cold outside," Eric whined.

Lacking any sympathy, Hyde rolled his eyes and got up, heading for his room to get dressed. "We're goin' out, Forman."

"But…" Suddenly, 'Like a Virgin' appeared on Hyde's television screen, and Eric settled into his seat with a lascivious smile, forgetting all about his objections to going back outside. "Ooh, well hello there, pretty lady. Yeah, that's right, baby. Roll around. You've been a naughty, naughty girl."

* * *

 **Kappy's Bar**

 **Point Place, Wisconsin**

 **9:26 pm**

 _Roadhouse Blues by the Doors blasts from a nearby jukebox._

 _Free to excess, without getting the usual crap from their chicks, Eric and Hyde had set out to pound down six rounds of beer tonight, and they succeeded._

"Wait…Hyde," Eric slurred as he waited his turn. "How could you sleep with her, man? And where the hell was I?"

Hyde made his shot, missing the eight ball. "Man, Forman, I told you, I was drunk, and she looked hot and… we were really, really drunk. Did I say that already? You saw her in that skirt, man!"

"Yeah," Eric said thoughtfully. "I wish Donna would wear skirts like that. I'd never leave the house." Then he gasped at a sudden thought, his puffy, red eyes growing wide at Hyde. "Oh, and Jackie had those boots on. And her thighs were all... " Eric gestured wildly.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Hyde shouted, nodding profusely. "I didn't stand a chance, man! Do you get it now?"

Grimacing, Eric shook his head. "No…No, man. I thought you liked your girlfriend."

"I do. I like Jess a lot. It was…it was an accident."

"Well, you better pray Donna doesn't find out. Because she'll tell Jessica so fast."

"Yeah, and if Donna does tell Jess, then I'll know it was _you_ who told her, and then you're going to finally find out what it's like to have a foot in your ass," Hyde warned his oldest friend menacingly before shaking his head, pissed at his own big mouth. "Crap, I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"Man, I'm not going to say anything. I like…I like my ass," Eric confessed, grabbing the pool stick from Hyde and making his shot into the corner pocket. The skinny boy smiled proudly at himself. "Alright... So uh, you and Jackie…" he began as he straightened himself up.

"There is no 'me and Jackie'," Hyde corrected, walking away to sit down. He took another drink of his beer and thought about Jackie's little amorous display toward Colin while she had kissed him on Kelso's couch. "And I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'd much rather try to figure out how the hell we're going to talk that idiot Kelso out of this Miami Vice crap."

Eric shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I kind of like it."

"You would," Hyde scoffed.

 _Let it roll, baby, roll  
Let it roll, all night long…_

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **11: 59 pm**

Drunk and staggering into his apartment, Hyde made a beeline for his bedroom, ready to crawl under the covers and pass out. First though, he decided to call his chick. He hadn't heard from her all day.

"Yeah, hey, room uh, 1016, please." Waiting as the phone rang and rang, Hyde nearly fell asleep but opened his eyes and grimaced when an unfamiliar female voice answered the phone. "Who's this?" Hyde asked.

" _This is Sera, you idiot."_

"Oh," Hyde said, rolling his eyes at Jessica's older sister, whose hate for him was practically a second religion. "Where is she?"

" _Are you drunk?"_

"No," Hyde answered flippantly. "Just get Jess on the phone."

" _She's not here. She's downstairs in the bar, having a great time. Without you."_

Hyde sighed, confident that it was a lie. "Whatever."

" _Bye,"_ she sang, hanging up on him.

Wishing he had never made the call, Hyde slammed down the phone. He hated that bitch, and he knew her reasons for hating him. Apparently, he wasn't good enough for her sister, and after a year of being together, thought Jessica deserved a better than what he was offering. "Bitch," Hyde muttered as he settled into his bed and closed his eyes, suddenly fretting over his drunken confession to Forman. As much as he trusted his best friend, he just knew, as he fell into sleep, that it would prove, in time, to bite him in the ass.

* * *

… _A quick wink at Hyde, and Jackie swung her dress around to face her destination. Hyde turned with her, and when the music began to echo through the church, he took his first step, leading her down the aisle. Halfway there, his own attire occurred to him: a traditional black tux. He hadn't noticed it before._

" _You look so handsome, Steven," she whispered as he brought her before the priest. Their arms still linked, Hyde waited for the man to speak._

" _Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"_

 _Looking over, Hyde noticed Colin for the first time, standing in the groom's position. He reached out to take hold of Jackie's free hand. Confused, Hyde turned to Jackie, tightening his grip on her arm, reluctant to hand her over._

" _Jackie, what the hell?" His eyes pleaded with her, but she smiled sadly and tried to pull away. "What are you doing?"_

" _Oh, Puddin' Pop," she said, touching his face. "It's time to let me go. Please. Answer him."_

 _Hyde shook his head furiously, but in front of him, the priest seemed to stare straight into his soul, his voice booming with anger as he repeated the question. "I said, WHO GAVE THIS WOMAN TO THIS MAN?"_

 _Hyde looked around at the now empty church. "I guess, I did," he answered shamefully. Upon those words, he felt her slip from his grasp and took her place beside Colin, her face beaming with what Hyde could only imagine was happiness and love._

 _As his vision faded, Jackie peeked over her shoulder at him. "You had your chance, Hyde."_

* * *

 **Monday, November 5, 1984**

 **4:37 AM**

Startled awake by the sound of his phone ringing, Hyde's eyes snapped open and he sat up, quickly looking over at his clock. It was 4:37 am. "What the hell?" he grumbled, pissed and about ready to go the fuck off as he picked up his phone. "Damn it, Jess. Go to sleep."

" _Is this the Hyde residence?"_

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Why? Who the hell's this?"

 _"This is Sergeant Craven from the Point Place police department. Are you the owner of…Groove's record store?"_

"Yeah," Hyde answered warily, swinging his feet around to the floor and standing up. He began to pace. "What, did it get robbed or something?"

" _There's been a structural accident. The roof of the complex your store is in collapsed about an hour ago. We pulled out a victim from your store."_

"Fuck! I'll be right there!"

After hanging up, Hyde dressed quickly and wasted no time making his way down to the record store. He drove as fast as he could and regretted not asking whether or not the victim was okay. "Damn it!" He thought back to the argument he had had with the owners of the shopping center. They had known about the old roof and had been warned on several occasions of the possibility of serious damage during a heavy snowstorm or too much rain. Hyde and several of the other owners had bitched, even threatened to withhold their rent, but were too afraid of losing the option to renew their leases to go through with it.

Pulling up to the scene, Hyde's car skidded out of control and nearly crashed into a pole. Not only was he still drunk, but the rain was nearing apocalyptic levels of stupidity. The entire day before, as he had lounged lazily in his apartment watching TV, emergency news reports had flashed continuously, warning of flood conditions. The entire state was in chaos, the governor had declared a state of emergency, and his fucking lights had gone out at one point, making him miss the entire thirteen-minute video for Thriller. And now this! He was pissed.

Hyde got out of his car and jogged though the lake that had been a parking lot just days before, ignoring the rain as it stung his face. Scanning the scene, all he saw were red and blue flashing lights, cops and paramedics, but no Leo.

"Hey!" he called out to a passing cop. "Sergeant Craven just called me. That's my store. They said they pulled a guy out."

"Yeah, right over there," the officer said.

Hyde took off, catching sight of his friend as he was wheeled out from what looked like complete rubble.

"Leo! Hey, man! Are you okay?"

"Hyde!" A bloodied and listless Leo lay strapped to a gurney, smiling up through an oxygen mask at Hyde. "Oh, hey. No need to worry. The store's fine, man."

"I'm not worried about the store, Leo."

"Oh, I'll be fine as soon as I get over this terrible headache, man."

Through his concern, Hyde chuckled sadly at the biggest understatement of the year. Leo had deep wounds all over his face and head, and his clothes were splotched with bright red blood. Hyde took off his coat and held it high over his friend to keep the stinging downpour off of his face; it was all he could think to do.

"Hey, is he going to be okay?" Hyde yelled to a paramedic who was frantically clearing out the back of the ambulance.

"We're taking him to Kenosha Medical Center. He may be bleeding internally," he shouted back. "He's also got a serious concussion. His eyes are dilated; his speech is slurred, and he's really confused! He's saying some really incoherent stuff. You know him?"

"Yeah," Hyde answered, holding back a grin and looking down at Leo. That was pretty much a general description of his older friend on a daily basis—dilated, slurred, confused, incoherent. That was Leo in a nutshell.

"Hey, Hyde, man," Leo asked quietly, reaching up to pull the younger man down. "I'm really sorry about your store, man. I don't know what happened. I was sleeping, and I think some jerk hit me from behind…"

Hyde shook his head. "No, Leo. It's not your fault, man… Just relax, okay. I'm going to follow you to the hospital."

"Okay, Hyde, but watch your back, man. There are cops all over the place. I think they're getting ready to bust someone."

Grinning slightly, Hyde patted his friend on the shoulder. "Will do, Leo. Good lookin' out, man."

"Oh, no problem. Anything for you, Hyde. You're like fam…" Leo cringed and grabbed his chest, startling Hyde.

"Hey…Leo…You alright, man?" Hyde asked, shaking him lightly. When Leo wouldn't answer or open his eyes, Hyde dropped his coat and rushed over to the paramedic, screaming at him over the loud thunderclap that followed a bright light in the sky. "Hey! Something's wrong! He grabbed his chest and now he won't wake up!"

The man jumped out, and Hyde stood back in horror as several paramedics began to work on the old man, poking and prodding and pumping air into his burnt-out body. Another climbed on top of him, straddling Leo's hips as he pumped two clasped fists down over his heart, repeatedly. Backing away slowly, Hyde cringed and lost control over his emotions when he heard Leo's ribs snap from the pressure. Hot tears burned his eyes; he'd never seen someone he loved dying before. This man had been like a father to him, loving him and accepting him when not many would.

Hyde wiped away the saline that was collecting in his eyes and clouding his vision as he watched two EMTs lift the gurney into the ambulance and close the doors. The rig instantly left the scene with lights flashing and sirens blaring, taking with it one of the few people in the world Hyde cared about. As freezing rain streamed from every slope of his body, Hyde drew his hands to the top of his head and stared up at the sky, closing his eyes and accepting upon his skin the thing that had caused it all.

* * *

 **Three Hours Later.**

 **Kenosha Medical Center Emergency Room**

Surrounded by the cold decor of the E.R. waiting room, Hyde shivered and sat up in his seat, pulling his still damp shirt away from his frozen skin and wondering where in the hell that last nurse had disappeared to. He had spent the last three hours gathering as much information as he could about Leo, bugging and hassling, even flirting with the nurses until they updated him completely on every procedure, every medication, and every bandage that was given to his friend. Hyde was kicking himself for not just saying that the hippie was his father; he could have been back there with him.

"Hyde," he heard a gentle voice call from behind.

"Yeah?" Hyde stood up and nervously waited for more news, feeling the same twinge of anxiety that attacked him at the start of every update. "Did you find out anything?" he asked the young nurse.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, he's being admitted right now."

"But he's okay?"

"Well, he's stable and that shard of metal, they got it out. It hadn't punctured his kidney. So, he's in the clear there. But, they're still monitoring his heart, because after his initial heart attack, there's a higher risk of more occurring."

"Okay," Hyde said, finding relief in her news. "Thanks."

"So, look, there's nothing else you can do here. They're admitting him, and since you're not family, you won't be able to see him until visiting hours." The young nurse smiled coyly at him as he nodded, and he was suddenly feeling a little guilty for leading her on in his quest for information.

"Thanks," Hyde said, grabbing his coat. "I really appreciate it." He left quickly, avoiding her glances, and decided not to go home just yet. There was only one place he wanted to go...

* * *

 **The Forman Residence**

 **8:21 AM**

Feeling beaten and abused, Hyde pulled into the Forman driveway and shut off his car, throwing his head back in exhaustion. The sound of rain pounding on the roof of the El Camino was driving him crazy; the fucking rain wouldn't quit, and he just wanted, for one minute, to feel dry and warm, and not as if he had been hit by an eighteen-wheeler full of ice water.

He came here because Kitty was a nurse and would be able to dissect all the medical terminology that was swirling around in his brain. Plus, she would hug him, and comfort him, and make him something hot to eat and drink.

Sighing loudly, Hyde got out of his car and ran for the house.

"Oh, Steven! You're soaked!" Kitty exclaimed as she ran around the counter, wearing her white nurse's uniform under a thick winter coat. "Oh, sweetie, there are fresh towels in the …Well, you know where they are…" she giggled as she looked at her watch.

"Mrs. Forman…"

"Oh, I'm going to be late! There are eggs and bacon on the stove. I'll see you kids later!" she yelled back at her son and his girlfriend, kissing the air and waving as she opened her umbrella and scampered out into the storm.

Raising his eyebrows, Hyde turned to Eric and Donna, who were standing up from the kitchen table and arguing with each other.

" _I'm_ her son; so, _I_ get the extra piece of bacon. It's science."

"Hey," Hyde called, getting their attention.

"Damn, Hyde, ever heard of an umbrella?" Eric snickered as he slipped his dirty plate into a sink full of soapy water. "You're soaked, man."

"Really, Sherlock? I hadn't noticed," Hyde bit back as he took a seat at the kitchen table. "You'll never believe what…" Before he could even begin his tale, his two friends began to bicker about time schedules, electric bills, and other trivial crap that meant nothing to him, not after what he'd seen that morning. "Hey, could you two quit it for one second? I have to tell you…"

"Can't, man. I'm going to be late," Eric interrupted, grabbing another piece of toast from the table. "I have an exam in…" He looked at his watch. "Crap! Thirty-one minutes! Damn it, Donna!"

" _Me?_ Blame Hyde for keeping you out late at the freakin' bar," she argued, rolling her eyes and scoffing as she stopped in front of Hyde. "I swear to God, if he doesn't graduate soon, I'm going to stab myself in the eye with a dirty toothpick. Because _that_ would be more pleasant than this crap."

As Donna walked out of the house, Hyde realized that he was alone. He had really wanted to talk with Kitty, although the support of his friends would have also sufficed. But he had to accept that they all had lives and couldn't have known what was happening. Hyde stood up and shut the slider door; it was so cold inside the house that his chest was convulsing, causing a dull pain. Turning around and looking at the telephone, he realized that only one person would stop everything to listen to him.

Hyde walked over and dialed the operator. "Yeah, can you connect me to the Four Seasons Hotel in Minneapolis...Yeah hi, room, um… damn it, uh, 1016, please." The phone began to ring and Hyde inhaled deeply with relief when Jessica answered the phone.

" _Hello?"_

"Jess! You'll never believe…"

" _Oh,_ _baby. I'm so sorry; I can't talk right now. I'm already late for that first meeting I was telling you about. That jerk Marco didn't do any of his work; he left it all for me! And then…OH! THEN, last night, after we left this bar we all went to, he grabbed my ass and then followed me to my room!"_

"What?"

" _Yeah, and then he had the nerve to get mad when I turned him down. He called me a tease!"_

"Tell that motherfucker that I'm going to kick his ass when I see him!"

" _I know! I am!"_ he heard her yell out to someone else _. "Steven, baby, I've gotta go. Wish me luck! I love you,"_ she said, making loud kissing sounds into the phone. _"Bye!"_

"No, Jess… Fuck!" Hyde shouted after he heard the loud click of his girlfriend hanging up on him. "God damn it!" Slamming the phone back on the hook, Hyde grabbed his cold, wet coat and left.

* * *

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Five Hours Later**

 **Grooves Corporate Office, Parking Lot**

The rhythmic purr of his engine in idle was threatening to lull Hyde to sleep as he sat and stared listlessly at the ceiling of his car. After having spent nearly four hours filling out insurance claims and listening to the mindless chatter of his father's employees, he just wanted to take a break from the world. But most of all, he wanted to punch something…hard. It had been over eight hours since his morning wakeup call and, so far, not a single person seemed concerned about Leo, and no one that mattered even knew. He acknowledged that if Jessica and the Formans had known, they would have dropped everything for him—they would have cared—but that thought didn't make him feel any less alone. And as irrational as it was, he found himself pissed off at his girlfriend for leaving him when he needed her most, for putting her new job before him. If she had been around, she could have kissed him and held him and smothered him, and even though he would have feigned annoyance, he would have sunk into her embrace and accepted her comfort.

But instead, he was tired and cold and sitting alone in his car.

After a few minutes, he decided to go home and wait for visiting hours to begin. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove about three blocks when a sign for the Channel 4 news station caught his eye. "TMJ Channel 4," Hyde muttered to himself as he made the hasty decision to veer into the parking lot. Throwing his car into park, Hyde sat back and pondered what to do. Most likely, his bossy little ex-girlfriend was inside, strutting around in a short skirt, starting shit. And he couldn't help but smirk at the thought. There was something about a chick with an evil streak, and Jackie had that something. It was what separated her from the rest. But when it mattered, she had always pushed it aside. For him…

 _Their hands had been clasped tightly together on that last night. Jackie had led him into his basement room, smiling roguishly, hinting that she had plans for him, plans that she had been formulating all afternoon; he could see it in her vibrant eyes. She was always doing that—organizing, planning, plotting like a freaking serial killer._

 _Pleasantly surprising him._

 _After closing the door behind them, she smiled coyly and pulled him deeper into the room, bewitching him with an intent stare as she dropped her body back onto his bed and patted the mattress between her spread legs._

" _Sit, Steven," she ordered, and then, upon his suspicious look, tilted her head and elevated her eyebrows with insistence. "Steven! Sit! And face that way."_

 _Sighing loudly, he turned around and seated himself between her legs, gently leaning back against her chest, instinctively letting his head fall on her shoulder._

" _What are you up to," he asked, startled when she pushed him forward and removed his t-shirt, leaving him smiling as she pulled him back against her body. "Oh. Well, this I can get behind," he teased, directing her hand around to the crotch of his pants._

" _Steven. Stop assuming that I'm being dirty," she scolded, taking her hand back._

" _You're not?" He scowled until he heard a strange noise, making him crane his neck around to see. "Jackie, what the hell are you up to?" She was rubbing her hands together vigorously and only answered when her warm, lubricated hands smoothed over his shoulders._

 _"Oh," he moaned, the sound against his control._

" _I'm trying to make you feel better, Steven."_

 _He let out a rough groan this time as she kneaded at his flesh, a noise that seeped out from somewhere deep within his body._ " _Oh, crap," he said as she continued to massage his shoulders, his neck. "God, Jackie." A sudden chill and a sweet, fruity scent overcame him as her fingers spread themselves widely across the nape of his neck and back down both shoulders until they reached his arms. He had no idea that his muscles had been so sore. "Why are you doing this?"_

" _Why would you think I need a reason to make my Puddin' Pop feel good?" she pouted as her hands worked down his sides, kneading at his ribcage and around to the front of his chest, making his eyes close in pure ecstasy. Then she sighed. "Because, okay. I know you've been really stressed out lately. That whore Angie keeps getting all the credit for everything you do. It's just not fair."_

" _Yeah but WB…he sent…he made her… go away and gave me the store," Hyde managed to grunt out. He couldn't seem to construct a logical sentence, not while her arms were wrapped around his body like that, her warm, slippery hands rubbing over every muscle in his chest and sides. The contact was arousing; every squeeze of his flesh was now settling deep in his groin, making him swell, especially when she traveled down below his belt, and she did, a few times...he hoped on purpose._

" _You've been so tense, lately," she continued. "I noticed it before we got back together. And I wanted to comfort you, Steven, but you were being such a jerk; I knew you would never let me." He didn't respond as she caressed him. She was probably right; out of pure stubbornness, he wouldn't have let her._

 _His eyes, drowsy from pleasure, opened the instant he felt her lips on his back, kissing him gently. Thank God, he remembered thinking, because his dick had been stiff since she had begun the massage. "C'mere," he whispered through heavy breath as he twisted his neck and sought out a kiss. Her lips tasted like the sweet, fruity scent, he noticed as he lay flat on his back and pulled her down over him, never breaking their kiss as he unbuttoned and removed her top…_

Hyde opened his eyes and tried to think. Memories always seemed to blend together in his mind, and as he stared through the rain, he could not recall how either of them had gotten undressed or how she had ended up below him, stomach down. It was all so long ago and the gaps in his memory frustrated him. What he found, though, was the visual of his own oiled up hands running down the soft skin of her back…

" _Steven, I was supposed to be making you feel better," Jackie moaned, her eyes closed as she rested contentedly on folded arms._

" _Oh, you are. Trust me," he assured her, kissing his way down her back and reveling in the fruity flavor of her flesh. Fondling her naked body, greased up with oil, and hearing her resulting moans were making him crazy with lust as he reached around briefly to cup her slippery breasts and pinch her nipples._

" _Oh, my God," she whimpered below him, lifting her hips off the bed to meet him. At his breaking point, his erection aching, Hyde slid off her panties, admiring every millimeter of smooth skin that was exposed to him, before finally tossing the material to the floor and feverishly kissing his way back up her spine. He lowered himself over her, both of them slippery and smelling like strawberries or cherries or something, fitting together perfectly as he kissed the back of her neck and lined himself up to enter her._

" _Oh, Steven," Jackie whispered softly beneath him, reacting to every kiss. "You feel so good." Sighing her satisfaction, she surprised him by rolling over with a dreamy smile on her face, putting a smirk on his._

" _You look so high," he told her before covering her mouth with his in an urgent kiss, quickly moving his lips down her neck, tasting as much of her as he could._

" _I feel high," she confessed in a breathy whimper that sounded so fucking sexy in his ear as he continued to move his mouth over her._

" _And God, Jackie, you taste so fucking good." He bit at the skin below her ear and felt her arms coil around his neck. A moment later, Hyde pulled back and looked into his girlfriend's eyes; she was having thoughts… dirty ones. Oh, he liked that look… a lot. And as if she could read his mind, Jackie smirked wickedly and bucked her hips up, making him growl against her lips and thrust his tongue insistently into her warm, strawberry flavored mouth…_

Five years away, Hyde was grinning to himself. It was funny to him… the things he remembered about that night. Maybe it was just the warm strawberry oil, or maybe it the fact that he made her wait, but Jackie was so turned on that she came fiercely only moments after being penetrated. That part… _That_ part he remembered in vivid detail. Every moan and every curse that flew from her mouth were crystal clear in his mind. And God, did she come for him, several times, biting so hard on his bottom lip that he tasted blood the moment he erupted inside of her. He thought about that night, on numerous occasions in the past five years, and concluded years before that it was a great fucking way to go out…

 _Exhausted, Hyde collapsed beside Jackie and accepted a kiss from her, feeling content as she placed her head on his chest and sighed happily. "I love you, Steven."_

" _I love you, too," he whispered through panted breath._

" _What? You do?" she asked, wide eyed as she raised her head to look at him. "Oh my God! You said it, you…" Irritated that she was making such a big deal out of his confession, Hyde pushed her head back down and hushed her curtly._

" _Shut it or I won't say it again."_

" _Okay," she accepted with a smile. "Okay." They lay together for another hour, kissing and playing the way lovers do. Neither could have known that this was the night that would sit with them for years; neither could have known how it all would end…_

Staring through the rain at Jackie's building, Hyde wondered if there was any truth to something she had told him years before. The day she said it and the place eluded him, but at some point in time, the words, "I'll always be there for you, Steven," left her lips and burrowed themselves deep within his subconscious. She still cared a little, didn't she? Hyde thought he knew the answer and, chances were, he would come to regret what he was about to do, but he didn't want to go home and sit in his empty apartment for the next five hours either. And God help him, he was craving her comfort. So right there, in the middle of the worst rainstorm in a decade, with a million doubts in his head, Hyde dared himself to get out of the car.

* * *

Channel 4 News Station

His nervousness buried beneath grief, Hyde walked into the main lobby of the Channel 4 News station and asked the front receptionist for Jackie Burkhart. She gave him a strange look before asking him to have a seat and threw him a few more backwards glances as he complied. He had been waiting for several minutes, contemplating just going home and trying his girlfriend again, when Jackie appeared.

"Steven?"

"Jackie," he replied as he stood up and soaked her in. It was strange to see someone clothed after two days of imagining them naked. She seemed overdressed in a fitted skirt that stopped just below those damn boots he loved so much, but there was, thankfully, no thigh today. His eyes drifted straight to the skin that the top three buttons of her shirt revealed, though, sparking more lusty thoughts as she folded her arms.

"Steven, what are you doing here? How do you know where I work?"

"Oh, um, Kelso told me."

"Okay? I know you didn't just come here to check out my boobs, so why are you here?"

"Oh, well…I was in the area."

"You were in the area," she repeated suspiciously. "And…"

"And…" he started, growing irritated at her impatience. "I was at the Grooves corporate office. It's right over…" As Hyde lifted his hand to point westward, Jackie smacked it down.

"Steven. I know where it is. I used to hang out there with you. Remember? Now, just tell me what the hell you're doing here, because if this gets back to Colin…" Halfway through Jackie's rant, anger turned to shock as she gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "Oh, my God, you told her."

"What? No," he replied, taking a step toward her. "Jackie, I told you I wouldn't."

Now, she was confused. "Well, what," Jackie paused and studied his features for some semblance of an explanation, frowning at what she thought she saw. "Steven, what's the matter? You look upset."

Unaware of how transparent his expression was, Hyde simply shook his head as he searched for the way to begin to explain himself. "I… There was..."

"Steven, you're scaring me," she said as her eyes pleaded with him to answer. "What's wrong?"

Hyde noticed a few stares of passersby and stepped closer to his ex-girlfriend, lowering his voice. "Can we talk outside?"

Immediately, Jackie nodded and asked Hyde to wait as she ran off to grab her coat and umbrella. Within a few minutes, she was leading him to a small smoking alcove that sat on the side of the main building, quickly pulling him inside to be sheltered from the storm.

"Okay, Steven. You've got me outside," she said, closing her umbrella. "Now tell me what's going on."

"Look. It's got nothing to do with…you know, what happened with us. I just…no one will..." Hyde took a deep breath and started to wonder why he thought she would care. "Alright. Really early this morning, I got a phone call from the cops telling me that the roof at my store had collapsed…"

"Oh, my God," she uttered softly, placing her warm hand on his.

"Leo was inside." Hyde could feel himself begin to lose his stoic facade, but he didn't care anymore. "It gave him a heart attack, and there was all this blood all over him, Jackie, and…" He watched Jackie's eyes fill with concern as he continued on almost angrily. "…and then he stopped breathing, and they broke his fucking ribs and took him to the hospital, but they won't let me in to see him and…."

"Is he going to die?" she asked, her face contorting as saline began to sparkle in her eyes.

Hyde shrugged. "I don't know, but he thought the whole thing was his fault."

"Oh, Steven. C'mere," Jackie said as she slipped her arms up around his neck and gave him what he had been seeking all day. Feeling her arms close in around him, Hyde closed his eyes and buried his face into her hair, breathing in the sweet smell of her shampoo. And as he tightened his grip around her waist, bringing their bodies as close as humanly possible, he knew that he had made the right decision. This girl had never let him down. She combed her fingers gently, lovingly through his hair and whispered words of consolation in his ear, absentmindedly rocking him from side to side. "He's going to be alright, Steven. I promise. I know how much you love him…"

"Jackie?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you come with me tonight to the hospital?"

"Of course."

Hyde shut his eyes again while Jackie stood on her tiptoes and held him, keeping him warm as they stood in their little cubby, safe from the rain…


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – A Day in the Life of Jackie Burkhart**

* * *

 **November 4, 1984**

 **9:17 AM**

 **The Home of Kelso and Brooke**

 _"Hearts" by Marty Balin is playing on a little transistor radio in the kitchen._

As Brooke cooked breakfast and cleaned up, she looked through the paper for the upcoming week's department store sales. Beside her, Bradley sat in his highchair, nibbling on cheerios and watching his mom. In the den, Betsy stood, half-watching the Smurfs, half twirling and dancing to the song playing on her mother's radio.

 _Is everything alright?  
I just called to say  
How lost I feel without you_

Kelso, fresh from a shower, walked into the room. "Pancakes!"

Opening her blue eye, Jackie welcomed the morning to the sight of her God-daughter spinning around the living room, holding onto the Cabbage Patch doll that her tenacious God-mother had accosted several women for the Christmas before. The five-year old brunette didn't seem to notice that she was being watched, and Jackie couldn't bring herself to look away. She remembered how freeing it was to be so young and innocent to the harsh realities of the world, able to enjoy the simple pleasure of spinning and spinning and spinning.

Propping herself onto her elbow, Jackie looked over the breakfast bar that led into the kitchen where Brooke was busy moving to the music and toiling over her Sunday morning chores, unaware that behind her, Kelso surreptitiously studied her every movement in awe. Jackie, unable to peel her eyes away, felt a sudden twinge of jealousy as she spied on the two lovers. It was amazing to watch her ex-boyfriend, so selfish in his youth, be so devoted now, so in love with someone other than himself. As Brooke separated silverware—their son watching, their daughter dancing—Kelso slipped his arms around her waist and closed his eyes, finding comfort in the crook of her neck while he swayed with her body from side to side.

Breaking Jackie's concentration was the sudden pounce of a five-year-old body on her chest. "Morning, Sleepyhead," Betsy shouted as she snuggled her head into Jackie's chest. "Get up! Get up!"

"I'm up! I'm up," Jackie exclaimed as she giggled. "And what time did YOU get up?"

Betsy shrugged.

Jackie pulled herself, along with her God-daughter, into a sitting position. "I saw you dancing," Jackie sang as she rocked her playfully from left to right, "but you didn't see me." The five-year old followed along with a laugh. "Hey, so where is everybody?" Jackie asked her with a squeeze.

Betsy pointed toward the kitchen. "Mommy and Daddy are in the kitchen, kissing," she whispered, tickled at the sight of her parents' affectionate display.

Jackie looked over and smiled. "Well, that's because they love each other," Jackie explained, getting lost once again in the sight of what she considered perfection. "And that's how you know, Bets. When the boy you love just can't stop kissing you… it's because he loves you, too," she imparted to her God-child, spurring a thought in the young girl's mind as she watched her father kiss her mother.

"Then my daddy must _really_ love my mommy," Betsy decided, her eyes glistening with pride. "A lot."

Jackie laughed as she drew the little girl in for a hug, settling the blankets over them in anticipation of more girl talk. "Oh, hey." Jackie looked around the family room and into the kitchen again before turning back to Betsy. "Hey, where did your Uncle Hyde go? Is that silly boy down in the basement again?"

Betsy shook her head. "He's not here," she said as she squirmed away, intent on watching her cartoons.

"What?" Jackie whipped off her covers and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Standing up, she combed through her hair, preparing to run into Hyde at any moment, and walked around the couch in search of him. "Hey, where's Steven?" she asked Brooke when she reached the kitchen, interrupting the make-out session.

"Oh, Hyde didn't stay here last night," Kelso said, separating himself from Brooke and moving toward the fridge for some juice.

His ex-girlfriend grimaced, feeling her ire rise. "What?"

"Yeah, his car was gone when we stumbled home last night… and then proceeded to do it on the dryer." Kelso winked at Brooke.

"Michael," his fiancé scolded and gave him a smack on the arm. "I can't believe you."

"Oh, sorry, baby," Kelso apologized before quickly turning back to Jackie. "Stupid me. It was the washer." Following another smack to Kelso, Brooke rolled her eyes and walked away toward her their bedroom. "What? What'd I say?" Jackie rolled her eyes, too, and disappeared in the same direction. Kelso followed her briefly. "What'd I say?" He stopped and headed toward his son instead, shaking his head as he pulled the toddler out of his chair. "Man, can you believe these chicks," he scoffed. "Just stay away from them altogether. Well, until you start looking like me and then just have a blast, man!" Kelso laughed and carried the boy down to the basement to get away from all the crazy girls in his house.

When Jackie walked into Brooke's unfairly-large bedroom, it became obvious that the bride-to-be had nothing but wedding on the brain. Pictures of gowns and bouquets, cakes and centerpieces were strewn about the room in no apparent order. "You should really organize all this," Jackie suggested as she pushed aside a few bridal magazines in order to sit down on the bed. Sneering, she watched Brooke crawl across the floor, butt in the air as she searched for something. "Brooke, what are you doing?"

"Looking for Michael's handcuffs."

"Ew."

Brooke popped her head up. "Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. He can't find them and he has to work tomorrow. I don't know where the heck…"

Brooke's voice faded from Jackie's thoughts, and she looked to the ceiling. There was something really bothering her, an uneasy feeling that she couldn't shake. "Hey, Brooke? Why do you think he left like that? He didn't even say goodbye."

"Who? Hyde? I thought he said he was going home last night," the tall brunette said and took a seat in front of Jackie. "That's what he said when he left the party."

"Well, when we got back here, we put the kids to bed and I told him not to leave. I mean, it was too dangerous for him to be driving in that storm."

Understanding the logic, Brooke nodded and witnessed a dreamy expression wash over her friend's face.

"Then I made hot cocoa and gave him jammies, and we watched Saturday Night Live. But I fell asleep and then…"

"Jackie," Brooke interrupted. "Don't you dare start this again. What about Colin?"

"I'm not starting anything. It was just… you know, as friends."

"Well, you and your _friend_ were making out a few days ago."

"An accident, Brooke… Anyway, it actually brought us a lot closer. Things are going to be different now. I just don't understand why he left without saying anything. What do you think it means?"

Rolling her eyes, it took everything Brooke had to restrain herself from shaking Jackie violently until her brain snapped back into place. "It doesn't matter what it means, Jackie." She took a deep breath. "Look. You know I would never judge you, and I'm not now. I just think you should take a step back and try to remember that as sweet as he seems right now, he wasn't always this way."

Jackie got off the bed. "Do you actually think I could forget what he did to me? Brooke, I love Colin. I just hated all the awkwardness between Steven and I. And if we're going to be stuck with each other through our friends for the next fifty years then we'll need to learn to be friends. Right? Why does everyone seem to like it better when we hate each other?"

With a sigh, Brooke stood up and hugged her friend, finding her body tense. "You're right," Brooke conceded and pulled back. "How about you get dressed, while I make my famous blueberry pancakes, and then we'll call Hyde to see if he got home okay."

"Okay," Jackie accepted with a smile and left the room to go get dressed.

As her best friend disappeared around a corner, Brooke shook her head and wondered what was happening. She knew that girl like a book now. _Something_ had happened between her and Hyde, something more than Jackie was acknowledging; Brooke just knew it. Something in her gut told her that Jackie was getting sucked backed in, but with the memory of a certain day still fresh in her mind, she hoped she was wrong…

 _Thanksgiving Day_

 _1980_

 _Brooke had pulled Betsy from her car seat and handing her sleeping body to Kelso. And it was as their family of three was about halfway up the Forman front walk that they had they noticed Jackie sitting alone on the front stoop, crying soundlessly into her palms…_

" _Hey, it's Jackie," Kelso muttered to Brooke. "Jackie, Sweet Pea, what's wrong?"_

 _Instead of answering immediately, Jackie simply wiped her eyes and looked up, feigning normalcy. "Oh, nothing. I'm fine…Hi, Brooke. Happy Thanksgiving," she offered pathetically._

 _Though Kelso wasn't buying it and neither was Brooke._

" _Michael. Could you take Betsy inside? It's cold out here." His face contorted in confusion but Brooke prodded him on with a simple look, sending him inside. "Hey, there," Brooke said, sitting down. But Jackie was silent, only her embarrassed eyes responded by avoiding Brooke's. "Jackie, you're not fine. What happened?"_

" _God. This is so embarrassing," the smaller girl burst out. "Every time I see you, I'm blubbering like a big, fat… FAT girl! You probably think I'm pathetic, especially since your life's so… perfect."_

 _Brooke laughed. "My life is not perfect. Trust me. Look, why don't you just tell me what happened and maybe I can help," she offered, patting Jackie's knee._

" _No one can help me. I'm ruined forever," Jackie rotated sideways to face Brooke. "One minute, I'm fine and I'm over it, and the next, he's sucking some skank's face off and I fall apart like one of Donna's cheap sweaters."_

" _Hyde?" Brooke guessed, rolling her eyes. "He's still with that stripper person?"_

" _No. That slut left last year. And from what I heard, he was sad about it," Jackie said, her mouth twisting in disgust as she shook her head. "He was never sad about me... Anyway, this is about a different slut," she continued, taking a deep, cleansing breath. "A little while ago, Mrs. Forman sent me into the basement for some stupid adult-table centerpiece, but she keeps all that stuff in Steven's room, and I didn't…I didn't think… I mean, he was just upstairs. I had just seen him."_

" _And…" Brooke encouraged her to continue._

 _Jackie's face suddenly lost its usual glow. "He was with his date, some slut, and he…" Stifling the sting in her nose and blinking back tears, she continued. "He was kissing her and he… he…"_

" _Jackie, you don't have to…"_

" _No. He told her… He told her she was beautiful," Jackie whined, finally liberating a few of her tears. But they ceased prematurely. Time had taught her to be strong, to be hard; Brooke could see it. The girl was numbing on the inside. Like him. "I guess I always just stupidly assumed that… I don't know…that I was the only one he thought… that I was somehow special."_

 _Brooke smiled sympathetically. "Jackie. You were. He was just trying to… get laid today, okay. He's a pig. All men are."_

 _The advice didn't seem to be helping—Jackie's expression only worsened._

 _Brooke sighed. "Listen, when Michael and I first got together, you know, at the concert, he told me I was beautiful. But he was so full of crap, Jackie. He was. He just wanted to get in my pants. But now, when he tells me I'm beautiful, it's different, because I know he means it. I know he loves me, and I feel special. But I didn't at the concert. Do you understand what I'm saying?"_

" _That I AM special?"_

 _Brooke nodded and watched the girl who she would one day call her best friend begin to smile._

 _"Yeah. I AM special. I knew it!" The fire in Jackie's eyes returned, and Brooke chuckled to herself. What the Hyde taketh away, the Brooke giveth back. "Brooke? Why can't I just get over him?"_

" _I don't know. I think, maybe, you got stuck in the moment, you know. I think you're still back there. But it'll pass. I promise. One day you'll just—poof!—let him go."_

 _Jackie smiled sadly and laid her congested head down on Brooke's shoulder._ " _God, I hope so. Because I'm exhausted."_

 _"I know…"_

* * *

Her body clean and her belly full, Jackie sank into Kelso's favorite recliner, content to pass the time staring at rain. As her bare feet dangled over the arm of the brown Lazy-boy, she wondered why she even gave a crap what Hyde was thinking the night before.

Or feeling.

Jackie sighed, disappointed with how she was reacting to him lately, allowing him in like that, in her body and mind. He didn't seem affected at all by her with his terse little comments on the phone. She reminded herself of a promise she had made herself many years before—to no longer be concerned with the thoughts and actions of Steven Hyde and, before Halloween, it had served her well.

But the night before, at Brian's party, minus his "racy outfit" outburst, he had been charming and had drawn her in again with his smile and his freaking eyes, reminding her of things forgotten, of good memories that he had so callously erased with his cruelty and spitefulness. He was rekindling them, forcing memories on her that she didn't want to remember, like their night at the drive-in.

Jackie shifted in her seat and drew her knees to her chest as the song on the radio abruptly changed to _Harden my Heart by_ Quarterflash, a song that made her jaw clench tightly and took her mind to a place that she had spent over three years trying to erase from her list of experiences.

The world around the La-Z-Boy was turning dark, and her heart was wrenching already, the hate returning, crisp in its vile perfection. She intended to get up, to change the radio station, but instead got lost in the memory of Brooke's birthday party, the one where this song had played so many years before…

 _Cryin' on the corner, waitin' in the rain_

 _I swear, I'll never, ever wait again_

 _You gave me your word but words for you are lies…_

 _February 14, 1981_

 _Kelso and Brooke's Place - Chicago, Illinois_

 _Neither she nor Hyde had shown up with a date, and Jackie remembered being thankful that she wouldn't have to spend another night watching him slobber all over some random skankoid. But because of that absence of companionship—mixed with a lot of alcohol—she found him watching her, significantly more than usual…_

 _Near the end of the night, she was in the kitchen, pulling the cap off of her wine cooler when a deep and familiar, "Hey," came from behind. When she spun around, a red-eyed Hyde was smirking and staring at her lewdly, drunk off his ass. Looking her up and down, he grinned wider—seemingly approving of her dress, tight and red—and stepped toward her. It made her nervous, the depraved gleam in his eye, so she took a step back but was stopped cold by the kitchen counter._

" _Hey," she responded apprehensively, involving herself in his stare as her heart pumped full of adrenaline—her body's typical response to his presence. "Steven."_

 _Her breathing grew rapid as Hyde stepped closer with an intent gaze, bringing himself only inches from her heaving chest. Her eyes drifted downward to his mouth as his lips turned up into another smirk. "I need to get a glass, Jackie," he nearly whispered the moment she felt his hips connect with hers, causing a quiet whimper to escape from her throat._

" _Uh-huh," was all she could manage as she tried unsuccessfully to back up._

 _In response, Hyde arched one expectant eyebrow and sighed._ " _Well, if you're not going to move, I'm just going to have to go around you."_

 _Before Jackie could budge, finally registering what was happening, Hyde grabbed the counter-top to her left and leaned forward to her right, pressing himself tightly against her body, trapping her as he opened up the cabinet behind her head. She was helplessly pinned and as her hands gripped onto the counter-top that dug into her lower back, she felt his breath warm her ear. He was taking a really long time, she recalled thinking the moment her eyes fell shut at his familiar scent._

 _God, she had missed him._

 _As Hyde's warm chest melded with hers, Jackie heard him set a glass down on the cheap Formica counter-top and close the cabinet shut. But he still hadn't moved. Instead, she felt his soft lips as they connected with her ear and his teeth as they tugged roughly at her lobe._

 _"Steven," she gasped, feeling another strong surge of adrenaline rip through her heart, and she finally relaxed against him. Her head rolled back slightly when he began to suck and bite lightly on her neck. "Oh, my God," she whispered, bringing her lips to his cheek and allowing herself the pleasure of placing her hands on his sides and pulling him even closer. "God, Steven, I missed you so much."_

 _Hyde continued to insistently kiss and suck on the crease of her neck for another few seconds when he suddenly stopped, stepped back, and laughed. "Yeah, you wish, Jackie," he said, shaking his head with amusement as he grabbed his glass and turned away to head back to the party, leaving her stunned. Tears instantly scorched her unblinking eyes. It was shock in its purest form. And when he disappeared from sight, Jackie could feel her body begin to shake while her mind splintered from the pain. Hyde had nearly succeeded in annihilating her sanity with his viciousness, seeing as she briefly considered going home to swallow a bottle full of pills, but instead, on that night, against that counter, something inside her snapped…_

 _I'm going to harden my heart  
I'm going to swallow my tears  
I'm going to turn and leave you here..._

Twenty-four-year-old Jackie Burkhart stared out at the rain and realized that the way Hyde made her feel that night was still alive in her memory, no matter how much she'd tried to kill it. Instead of leaving her weakened in that kitchen with the usual sadness, he had left her strong and seething with pure hatred, mixed with the acceptance that the Steven Hyde she loved was gone, lost somewhere in her memory and in time. The prick that strutted away from her that night was merely the garbage and white trash upbringing left behind. He was young and arrogant, but the fucker was probably still getting off on her pain, and Jackie was done offering herself up for his amusement.

She narrowed her eyes, proud of how she had handled things from that moment on, with grace and dignity and strength. It was on that Valentine's night that her heartbreak had finally begun to ease with the acceptance that the boy who said he loved her was dead, that there was no more Steven and only the person that everyone else saw: Hyde. So, that's what she called him for three and a half years as she let him go. _Hyde_.

"Jackie," she heard a familiar voice call out and turned her head to see Donna smiling wide at her. "Come on! I brought you a present."

"What?" The brunette jumped up and hurriedly followed her red-headed friend down to the basement, squealing with joy and forgetting all about Hyde as she focused all of her energy on one of her favorite things in the entire world… presents!

* * *

The Basement

 _'Stand Back' by Stevie Nicks is playing on Eric's old stolen stereo._

"Holy Freakin' Crap," Donna yelled out. "It's Eric's basement!" Darting around a beat-up chair of the Hyde persuasion, the red-head flopped herself down on an orange replica of the couch she had spent so many years on, makin' out and hangin' out. "It's much comfier, though," she noted with a smile and a bounce. "This is awesome! I can't believe Kelso did this!"

Laughing and skipping down the stairs, Jackie could hear her friend's excitement and made a dash for the couch, jumping on top of her. "Where's my present," she screeched.

"Oh!" Donna grunted out when a hundred and five pounds of weight was hurled upon her body. "Hang on," she laughed. "It's not just for you."

Jackie made a face and pinched Donna's inner thigh. "You tricked me."

"Ow! That freakin' hurt, you little twerp."

Jackie stuck out her tongue. "Good. Now where's my gift?"

Rolling her eyes, Donna sat up and pointed Brooke toward the lawn chair, Amy, Fez's girlfriend, toward a footrest across from her, and Jackie toward Hyde's chair.

"All of you, sit! I've got film." With a wiggle, Jackie sat down and smiled while Brooke and Amy shared a strange look. Realizing that the two other girls had no idea what 'film' meant, Donna peeked over at Jackie and laughed. "Oops, I forgot. I've got weed, girls," she announced a second time. "Pot, Mary-Jane, hemp, grass, herb, bud, ganja…"

"Oh!" Brooke said, finally understanding. "That's right. Michael explained 'film' to me once."

"Wow, it's been a long time since I've smoked two days in a row," Jackie commented as Donna pulled a perfectly rolled joint from her breast pocket.

"Two days in a row? I thought you said you hadn't smoked in a while?" Donna said to Jackie while lighting the joint. "That's why I stole this damn thing from Hyde."

Touched, Jackie placed her hand to her heart. How sweet of Donna to know that something stolen from that bastard just tasted sweeter. "Thank you, Donna."

"We _haven't_ smoked in a while," Brooke answered as Donna passed her the joint. "But because _Hyde_ was coming over this weekend, my moron fiancé confiscated a bunch from some kids on Friday night." She passed the large joint to Amy with a smile.

"Okay. So, I don't get it," Amy said. " _Why_ is it called film? I mean, Fez is always making these strange photo-processing jokes. Does that have something to do with it?" the brunette asked as she handed the joint off to Jackie.

"Well, sort of. See, Hyde used to work at a Fotohut and so he and Leo used to say 'film' to avoid having to say the real word, and… Well, Fez is just strange. You're going to have to get used to that."

"It's true," Donna concurred, taking a hit and turning to Jackie with a wicked smirk. "Hey, do you remember that time that the guys got Fez drunk, dressed him up like a girl, and then took him to that truck stop?" She laughed at the memory. "Yeah, those were good times."

Brooke took the joint and giggled. "No. The best part of the whole night was when he claimed his name was Tootsie, then started humming the theme song."

Amy took her hit with a scowl on her face. "You know, he's always humming at inappropriate moments," she confessed as she tried to pass to Jackie, who was laughing so hard now that Amy had to skip her and move on to Donna, who was stifling her own laughter.

The red-head took a short drag. "Does he cry a little, too," she asked, finally breaking down and forcing a snort out of an already hysterical Jackie.

Brooke's jaw dropped. "Oh, you guys are mean!" she scolded as she passed the joint back to Amy.

"You know, he does…" Amy replied, making another face as she finally got Jackie to take the joint. She attempted to take a hit but failed miserably and fell off of her chair with a thump.

"Oh, my God," Jackie sighed, trying to reel in her laughter. "Oh, poor Fez." Taking a hit, the brunette thanked God that she never slept with the foreigner. She stuck her arm up in the air just as the music changed and coughed her smoke out, encouraging Donna to snag the blunt out of her hand. The rest of the girls began talking again while the cool vinyl edge of Hyde's replica chair chilled Jackie cheek. High as a kite, she rested her head and listened as Kim Carnes took her back in time to Bob's wedding reception.

 _Her hair is Harlow gold  
Her lips, sweet surprise  
Her hands are never cold  
She's got Bette Davis eyes…_

 _April 17, 1982_

 _She had been sitting at the Forman table, waiting for her date to return from the restroom when Hyde walked up. Her eyes were closed so she was completely unaware that he was watching her and smirking as she sang and bounced her head. "And she'll tease you… She'll unease you… All the better just to please you… She's precocious and she knowwwwws…" It was then that she opened her eyes and saw him, grinning down at her. "Hyde," she sneered in greeting._

 _"Hey," he said and took a seat beside her. It was difficult to ignore how good he looked in his suit, blue tie loosened, face clean shaven._

" _So, where's your girlfriend?" she asked, her tone disparaging._

 _Hyde settled into his seat, taking a quick swig of his beer before answering. "Don't know. Why? Where's your boyfriend?"_

 _Jackie shrugged. "Probably off flirting with that waitress that was here earlier," she scoffed; waiting for him to make fun of her but instead he just appeared angry._

" _Seriously?" Hyde straightened up and began to scour the crowd diligently. "You want me to kick his ass for you?"_

" _No, Hyde. I couldn't care less, if you want the truth."_

 _Returning to his beer, Hyde nodded that he understood. He apparently didn't care much about his girlfriend either. "Good. Don't. Caring sucks," he reminded her while taking another swallow of his Budweiser. Peering into his insipid eyes, Jackie thought she saw lonesomeness and wondered who was there for him, who made him feel better when he was unhappy, because he was always unhappy. Going by his listless and vacant gaze, she suspected that the answer was no one, but her sympathy for him lasted mere seconds; for he had done it to himself._

" _Hey, Jackie," Hyde began, as he stared at his beer, then brought his baby blues up to her eye level. They seemed to be calling out to her, begging for something, and she found herself having to fight against the feelings that were quickly resurfacing. Her jaw clenched instinctively, biting back the emotions, silently reminding her that she hated him. But it was the first time since their break-up that Jackie could swear she saw him—the real him. It was a rare 'Steven' sighting. He was looking at her so sincerely, so sadly. "When… when we were goin' out, did you…" He stopped, appearing unsure of himself as he visibly swallowed. "Jackie..." She watched him take a deep breath and look down. "Sometimes…"_

" _Hyde. Come on, I want to go. This wedding is the pits. Only the first two drinks are free." He looked up at his girlfriend and curtly told her that he'd be there in a minute before shifting his focus back on Jackie. "I guess, I'm leaving. But… you, um… you look really pretty tonight... Jackie." The words were said so softly that she barely heard it. But what she remembered most was the way he looked at her, like he was finally waking. Like he finally figured out what she had known for two years. That he had lost the best thing he would ever possess._

 _He stood up and walked away, ending the last decent conversation they had until the night he saved her life, only two months later…_

 _She's precocious  
and she knows just  
what it takes to make a pro blush…_

Tearing Jackie from her memory, Amy tapped her shoulder and smiled as she handed off what was left of the joint. Taking another hit, Jackie lay her head on her ex-boyfriend's seat and began to sing. _"_ All the boys think she's a spy…" Donna, Brooke and Amy all joined in loudly. "She's got Bette Davis eyes!"

* * *

 **Caroline's Bridal Shop**

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

With her arms spread wide, Jackie breezed out of the dressing room and did what most girls do while wearing a dress of such caliber… she twirled, feeling like a million bucks.

"This one's my favorite!"

Donna's jaw dropped. "Wow. Now _that's_ a bride's maid's dress," she said as she admired the pale-yellow wrap gown that Jackie modeled. "God, it looks great with her hair, too," she added, speaking to Brooke. Then Donna had a thought and examined a lock of her own auburn hair. "Eh, I should've stayed a blond. It would've matched better."

"No!" Jackie spun around to lock eyes with her oldest friend. "No, Donna. You were a bitch with blond hair. The red stays," she declared with a tight-lipped nod before turning back to the full-length mirror to admire herself.

Donna rolled her eyes in response. "I was depressed, Jackie," she repeated for probably the hundredth time in the three years since returning to her natural color. Exasperated, she turned to Brooke. "I was depressed!"

Smiling somewhat painfully, Brooke could only shrug her shoulders as Jackie spun back around again, her face scrunched up from contemplation. "You know what, Brooke. Donna's right. Yellow is not going to match her hair and she is _not_ …" Her eyes wide, Jackie focused an extra-long glare—pursed lips included—on her red-headed friend, "dying her hair blond." With that, Jackie shifted her focus to Brooke. "Therefore, being the generous person that I am known for being…"

Jackie ignored the glance between Brooke and Donna and continued.

"…I choose the green. It'll go with my eye AND her beautiful, ugh, _red_ hair! Even though the yellow looks fabulous on me," she added with a faraway, glassy smile and pose.

"What about my cousin," Brooke asked. "She's got blue eyes and blonde hair."

Jackie scoffed. "Who cares? Her little blonde butt should've been here if she wanted a say."

"Jackie, she lives in Denver," Donna reminded her.

"So? I'm the maid of honor, and I say green."

"I think Jackie's right," a voice interjected, causing everyone to look over at Amy. "About the green," Amy clarified. "It goes with one of her eyes and Donna's hair… it's got a better design AND it's cheaper. You guys should definitely go with that one," she concluded with a smile, flipping her long hair and returning to her copy of Soap Opera Digest.

"See," Jackie said. "Even Amy knows I'm right, and she's dating _Fez_. The green."

"The green," Brooke agreed, earning an approving nod from Donna as well, who liked herself in emerald green. It brought out the green in her own eyes. "Now, we just have to talk Michael out of the Miami Vice tuxes, and my wedding will be perfect!"

Jackie laughed. "There is no way I'm walking back down the aisle with Hyde looking like an ice cream cone."

"I don't know. I think Eric would look sexy dressed like Sonny Crocket. You know with his hair all slick and dangerous," Donna said whimsically, pulling together the image in her mind.

Jackie groaned. "Ew, Donna. No."

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **That Evening**

With an angry growl, Jackie stepped into her apartment and dropped her overnight bag to the floor. What a freakin' weekend. She shut the door and turned up the thermostat. What a week! She hated the rain; it made her hair frizzy and was ruining her new leather boots, not to mention that it put Steven Hyde back on her radar. That stadium and those damned, complaining injured people; it's all the news would talk about. She had real problems.

After slipping off her boots, she placed them by the heater and ran into her room to change into something warm and comfy, planning on dinner, a hot, bubble bath, and a little bit of TV before bed.

Jackie wasn't in her pajamas but two minutes when the phone rang. Excited at who it probably was, she dived into her bed and picked up the phone with an anticipatory giggle. "Hello?"

" _Hey beautiful."_

"Colin," Jackie squealed. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry I didn't call you this weekend. I was just so busy."

" _It's okay,"_ Colin said. _"Did you have fun?"_

"Eh. Donna, Brooke, Amy and I all got high and went shopping." She heard a small laugh come through the line as she slipped underneath her covers to get comfortable. "Oh, Colin. I miss you so much, sugarplum. Come home… like, now."

" _I miss you, too. I wish I could,"_ she heard him say softly and could instantly tell that he meant it. Smiling to herself, she curled up with her pillow _. "Jackie?"_

"I'm here. So, where are you?"

" _My hotel room,"_ he answered when a barely audible female giggle sounded out behind him.

Jackie sat up. "Wait. Who the hell is that?"

" _Oh."_ Colin lowered his voice. _"That's some chick Adam's been hanging around with."_ He lowered it even more. _"I've had to listen to them do it in the bed next to mine for the last three nights. I mean, who does that? Like I want to hear that shit. I would get my own room, but this place costs two hundred bucks a night."_

Jackie heard him sigh into the receiver. "Oh. That's... ew. So, what'd you do this weekend?" she asked, changing the subject. "Did you have to work?"

" _No. We went out to a couple bars. It was alright. I would have rather been home with you… doin' it._ " He chuckled into her ear for a brief moment. _"Instead of listening to other people get to,"_ he added with a little more irritation in his voice.

Jackie smiled. "Aww. You're mad because want to do it with _me_ ," she teased.

" _Yeah. Who wouldn't? You're really fuckin' hot, babe… I miss you… I love you."_

"I love you, too, Sugarplum," she cooed.

There was a long silence followed by his sorrowful voice. " _I've gotta go."_

"But… Why? Where are you going?"

" _We're all supposed to go out. But I'll just stay in so we can talk."_

"No. No, it's okay," Jackie said half-heartedly. "Go out. Have fun, honey. Just call me tomorrow night, okay, after I get home from work."

" _I can't. I'm going to be at a Knicks game,"_ he replied sounding as if he didn't really want to go. " _Shit, Jackie, I'm sorry_."

She heard him sigh his worries into the phone while they sat in silence for almost a full minute. "Call me Tuesday then?" she asked, the inflection in her voice hopeful.

" _I will. I promise. I love you."_

"I love you, too."

" _Bye,"_ she heard him say before hanging up the phone, never waiting for her response.

"Bye." Jackie said and slammed down the phone. "Jerk."

Sinking into her bed, she pulled the covers up and over her head. It was part of his job to be in New York whenever they told him to be. She knew that and had accepted it early on, but he was _never_ around anymore, and she barely felt as if she even had a boyfriend. And yeah, she told him to go out, but he was _not_ supposed to actually go. He was supposed to want to stay on the phone with her, insist on it even. But he just went out where probably a hundred New York City sluts would hit on him because he was hot and had a sexy accent. And what would stop him from having sex with those sluts, she wondered. Love? Pft. Nothing had stopped Hyde, and from what she gathered from her encounters with him and Jessica, he was in love with _her_.

Forgetting all about dinner, Jackie took a shower, blew dry her hair, and returned to bed, stewing in jealous thoughts and painful memories until a raging headache accompanied her into sleep.

* * *

 **The Next Day**

 **November 5, 1984 – 1:33 pm**

 **Channel 4 News Station**

A million tangled thoughts traveled through Jackie's mind while she sat and smoothed her hand over her recently cleaned desk. It was situated amongst many in a room filled with her fellow employees; all packed in like sardines. Here, Jackie Burkhart was nothing special, except to the closest of her friends—her most trusted confidants. And she was learning to accept that.

The enormous research office was lit up brightly and people were scattered about, hustling and bustling and bumping into one another like busy little worker ants, all pressed by a deadline. Beyond the hectic scene was a wall made entirely of glass, exhibiting a mural of storm clouds and pouring rain, reminding them all that the world, or Wisconsin anyway, was nearing a flood of biblical proportions. To her immediate left sat a pile of manila envelopes containing photographs from public events that meant nothing to anyone. To her right sat her purse, filled with make-up and junk that also meant nothing, nothing at all. But behind the brown leather bag stood a little man, smiling eccentrically at her and donning a green afro. 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life' the tag at his feet read.

The odd little troll had been a gift that she had thoughtfully placed in Hyde's lunch six years before. Because she loved him. But to her dismay, he returned it in a box full of meaningless things that she had left in his bedroom—dropped on her doorstep two full years after their break-up. It was his finality, his closure, she had figured when she brought the box inside, then cried herself into an oddly-timed depression that lasted nearly two weeks. All while hugging that stupid doll.

Jackie squeezed her eyes shut tight when a wave of emotion coursed through her body and gave her chills. Why she brought it in today, she didn't know.

 _You hate him_ , she reminded herself. _Hate him_.

"You alright?" a voice called from behind and startled her. It was Kevin: a confidant. "You know," he said, taking a seat across from her. "You've been avoiding me all day." At that, his normally mouthy co-worker simply shrugged and stared at the strange new doll on her desk. "So… was that him? At the party?"

With a nod, Jackie reached out and took possession of the troll, finding solace in twirling his course hair around her fingers. "Yeah."

"Sweetie. Are you alright?"

"I don't even know," she replied, letting her soggy eyes be known. "But I know that I miss Colin. I wish he would…" Damming back tears was of the utmost importance in this place; people talked. "…come home."

Kevin nodded. "Hm. Well, maybe…" Cutting him off was the double beep of Jackie's phone line. But the brunette didn't seem to be moving so he answered for her. "Jackie Burkhart's desk…Oh hey, Elle." His voice sweet, but his expression sour, Kevin fluttered his eyes at Jackie. "What's up, girl... Well, who is it?"

A gasp from her best work friend's lips forced Jackie to sit at attention. "What?"

He shook his head and waved her off frantically.

"Who is what? Kevin! Is that bitch trying to steal my story again?"

"Uh-huh," Kevin continued over the phone, holding his hand up to Jackie. "Yeah. Oh, my God. I'll send her right out." With wide eyes and his mouth agape in astonishment, Kevin hung up the phone. "Oh, Jackie."

Jackie reached out and pulled his Halston silk shirt into her fist. "Will you just spill it already?"

Removing her grip from his shirt, Kevin brushed the new wrinkles and blinked slowly. " _Steven Hyde_ is out in the lobby, waiting for you." He stood up and in a hoarse whisper began to freak out on Jackie's behalf. "That hot, whore-marrying douchebag is totally in the mother-fucking lobby!"

"What?" Something made her rise from her seat—a rush of adrenaline—it almost hurt as Kevin spun her stunned body around and pushed her toward the elevator. "Why would he come here?"

"He loves you," Kevin concluded dreamily. "I've always told you that boys are jerks and from the time they are five are mean to the girls—or boys—that they love. The hot ones, anyway. And I saw him the other night; he's a total Bowie."

"No. Something's wrong. Hyde… Steven wouldn't come to see me at work unless something was wrong… Oh, God," she uttered as they stepped into the elevator and headed down to the first floor. "If Colin calls, tell him I got a last-minute assignment."

"I'll sit at your desk until you come back," her dark-haired friend promised. "Just find out what Hyde…Steven… whatever the hell his name is, wants with you!"

When the elevator doors parted again, the two tip-toed out, skulking from plant to plant until Hyde, seated in the main lobby, came fully into view. Concealed behind a support beam, Jackie and Kevin watched him frown and put his head in his hands.

"Is he mad?" Kevin asked.

"No," Jackie replied, knowing by heart the body language of the boy who could send her world into a tailspin with a single glance. "He's upset... and nervous."

* * *

Jackie's heart lodged high in her throat as she watched Hyde's eyes redden and shine. There was no doubt in her mind that he was coming to her out of pure loneliness. She suspected that with Jessica gone, he had no one else to turn to. Though, she wondered why the others were not there for him. And poor old Leo. God, as much as she'd always clashed with the old, dirty hippie in her younger years, she had grown fond of him and couldn't imagine anything happening to him. Hyde loved him so much and that proved to be good enough for her until one day she realized that she loved him, too.

"Is he going to die?" she asked, feeling a familiar sting in her eyes.

"I don't know," she read from his silent lips. He was staring intently into her eyes and the expression on his face was breaking her heart, surprising her even as a small dose of saline moistened his eyes and sent his head downward. "But he thought it was all his fault."

"Oh, Steven. C'mere." Jackie reached out and snaked her arms tightly around his neck, lifting onto her tip-toes to spare him from having to bend down. She felt him nuzzle his face into her hair and closed her eyes at the way he felt… so warm and perfect in her arms. He pulled her entire body flush against his, grasping onto her for dear life as she tried to whisper his pain away.

"He's going to be okay, Steven…I promise. I know how much you love him."

As he squeezed her tighter, Jackie allowed herself to release every terrible memory of him… for now. This wasn't the trash that strutted away from her at that party, or the empty shell that reached out to her at Bob's wedding reception, or even the angry drunk that saved her a couple months later—the man she was holding was the man that Kitty and Red Forman raised him to be. The man he was meant to be. He was finally here, wrapped tightly in her arms.

"Jackie?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you come with me to the hospital?"

"Of course."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Never Judge a Boy by His Cover**

* * *

 **Monday, November 5, 1984**

 **1:59 PM**

"Oh, my God! Steven," Jackie cried out, startled by the sting of bitter cold that pierced her chest. She immediately pulled away to look down at the two wet spots circling over her breasts. "What…Why are you all wet?"

"Oh… sorry," Hyde said, almost blushing as he frowned at her wet shirt and tugged on his. "I thought it would be dry by now."

Jackie reached out to touch him, first pinching at his cold, damp t-shirt and then casually slipping a warm hand underneath to his bare stomach, only to wince at what she found. "Steven, you're freezing."

"I'm fine," he insisted, too embarrassed to admit that he was, in fact, freezing. His coat, jeans, and apparently his shirt, too, were all still damp, although it was probably the 30-something degree temperature that had him shaking to his core, especially now that Jackie had taken her body heat away.

"No, you're not. Your clothes are almost frozen, and you're shivering. Were you standing out in the rain?" The expression that accompanied his nod made her melt with sympathy for him. "Come on. Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Back inside." With all of her usual tenacity, Jackie grabbed Hyde's hand and dragged him around the building, back toward the main entrance. When they reached the lobby, she turned to him with a bright smile. "Sit here and give me five minutes. I won't be long."

"Jackie, you don't need to leave work. I can hang around Milwaukee 'til you get off."

"In wet clothes?" Jackie grabbed the cuff of his jacket. "Steven, your sleeve has freakin' ice on it. Ice, Steven! Only dogs and little kids have crunchy wrists in the wintertime, not grown men. Now, sit."

Hyde stared at her briefly, then sat down on the vinyl bench seat behind him.

"Stay," she added.

"Jackie," he said. "I'm not a dog, remember? Just go. I'll wait here." Then there was the typical awkward pause that accompanied their post-break-up conversations in which Jackie fidgeted nervously while Hyde simply stared at her, wondering what the hell her crazy ass was doing. "You going or not?"

"I'm going," she snapped and walked away in a huff. But as Jackie distanced herself from his position in the lobby, she could feel his scrutinizing eyes burn through her, making her insides hot. Always the showman, the brunette gave her gait a little extra swing from the hips and made certain to address every employee who came within fifteen feet; she was going to make sure her ex knew that she was _still_ the most popular girl.

From his bench, Hyde grinned knowingly, more than aware of what his ex-girlfriend was up to. The girl didn't walk like that every day, and she wasn't that damn friendly. Jackie could play her little games with anyone else, but not him; he knew better. Looking away, Hyde realized that he was in familiar territory, yet it was a place that he hadn't inhabited in years—seven to be exact. And the last time he was here, he was eighteen and a complete idiot whose brilliant plan of action was to act like the biggest disinterested asshole that ever existed. But now, at twenty-five, he really _had_ to be disinterested. He was taken—happily taken, he told himself. He loved Jessica.

Maybe.

Hyde glanced backed up, just in time to catch Jackie's big eyes flip his way while she stood, waiting for the elevator. Then, realizing she was caught, she gave him that bright smile again, making him wonder what in the hell had possessed him to hold so much anger toward her for so long. Looking at her now, he couldn't remember how they had gotten that way. Of course, there was Sam, she didn't help, nor did his attitude, but he and Jackie had learned to co-exist for a little while afterward, and he couldn't figure out…and then it hit him. Hyde shut his eyes. Oh, yeah. Carrie Myers…

 _Thanksgiving Day, 1980_

 _In a flurry of movement, Hyde backed his Thanksgiving date across the basement, sparing a moment to pull off her blouse and his own shirt before quickly shoving his tongue back into her mouth._

 _"Oh,_ _Hyde..."_

" _Shh. I told you not to talk," he reminded the brunette, using his lips again to silence her. Lifting the girl's legs up around his hips, Hyde swiftly moved her petite frame into his bedroom, unsnapping her bra once there and earning himself one of the only noises he had pre-approved her to make: a gasp as he sucked brutally on her breast._

" _Oh, God."_

" _Shut it," he repeated as he found her mouth again and backed them both against the wall with a slam._

" _I can't help it," she whimpered, her speech slightly muffled by his active tongue. "You make me feel so good, baby…"_

" _God damn it, Carrie!" Hyde pulled away. "You know what, forget it." He was just about to leave her there when she desperately hooked her arms around his waist and stopped him._

" _Okay! Okay, I'm sorry. Please," she begged him, her eyes pleading pathetically. "I'll shut up." Hyde ignored the shot of guilt that her expression incited; this chick was desperate to please him, willing to tolerate his strange behavior because it got her off. And while she was clueless to the real motives behind his demands, he doubted she cared, as long as he continued his cruelty. She was an admitted masochist, and so was he at the moment, though she's assumed otherwise, based on his behavior. "Fine, c'mere," he said, taking her lips softly this time and using his tongue more sensually. His hang-ups weren't her fault, he knew—as hers had not begun with him—and in fact, Hyde thought the chick would have probably made an okay girlfriend, if he had wanted one. Instead, Carrie Myers came at a time in his life when 'fuck buddy' was the highest honor he was willing to bestow—the title par excellence—only receiving a call when her specific attributes were being craved._

 _Hyde closed his eyes and slipped his fingers into her dark, silky hair, groaning lightly when she brushed her lips down his chest and slowly dropped to her knees in an undeniable and inexplicable desire to gratify him at any cost. Unzipping his jeans, Carrie worked quickly to slip the stiff material down his legs and appease his erection by taking his cock into her mouth, slowly sucking and twirling her tongue around its swollen tip. As she fulfilled his silent fantasy, as he fulfilled hers, Hyde smirked at the sight of her tight little body below him; the olive tone of her skin; her small, pert breasts; the long, dark hair and the pouty, crimson lips that so eagerly swallowed down his dick. From this angle, she was a spot-on match, and it just slipped out._

" _God, you're beautiful," he said, tightening his grip on her hair, forcing her to take him deeper. The oblivious girl moaned in response and as he closed his eyes and began to thrust himself into her zealous mouth, Hyde thought he heard a noise come from just outside the door. Choosing to ignore it, he dropped his head back against the wall, unable to think about much more than the vigorous sucking._

 _When Hyde felt himself nearing orgasm, he pulled Carrie up and spun her around, offering no explanation as he bent her over the back of his recliner. Wasting no time, he pushed the brunette's mini-skirt above her hips and ripped off the skimpy little panties that were in his way, taking a moment to straighten the girl up by her jaw and slip his hand around to ensure she was nice and ready for him. "I'll let you scream," he growled in her ear, earning him a smile as he forced her back down and gripped her wriggling hips. He was about to drive himself into her wet, pink folds when she stopped him._

" _WAIT! Shit. I forgot to take my pill this morning."_

" _What the hell, Carrie," Hyde groaned, wincing and out of breath from anticipation. "You tell me this now?"_

" _I'm sorry. Just… put on a condom. Please," she whined and bucked her hips back against his, letting him know that she wanted it more than even he did. "I need to be fucked, Hyde."_

 _Moistening his lips, Hyde admired the way she worked her ass over him, persuading him to hurry, and leaned down to run his tongue over her back. "I'll be right back," he said with a kiss and quickly dressed._

 _Upstairs, Hyde peeked into the living room and tried to figure out who in the hell would have a condom because he sure as hell didn't, and it was Thanksgiving: all the stores were closed. "Damn it," he muttered to himself as his erection strained painfully in his jeans. He watched Kelso walk in and immediately disqualified him; that tied-down idiot had no clue what a condom was anymore and neither did Forman. There was no way in hell he was asking Bob or Red and that only left one man: Fez._

" _Hey, Fez, man. You gotta help me out. I got a chick downstairs." Slightly bouncing on his feet, Hyde stared at his foreign friend as if he held the elixir of life in his back pocket. "Come on, man," he whispered hoarsely as he punched his friend's arm. "I know you have one! Hand it over!"_

" _Ow! Well, how do you know that I don't need it?! Huh? Is it so impossible to imagine that Fez might…Oh, fine! Here, you lucky son of a bitch," Fez grumbled, pulling a brand-new condom out of his wallet. "You get Thanksgiving sex, and I get nothing!"_

" _Mrs. Forman made pie," Hyde offered with a hopeful grin._

" _Oh." Fez smiled and handed his horny friend the rubber. "Okay."_

" _Thanks, buddy."_

 _Ready to fuck, Hyde made his way back toward the basement door but stopped when he heard two familiar female voices coming from inside the dining room._

" _God, why do I let him do this to me, Brooke?" It was Jackie, and Hyde inched closer to get a better listen. "I just…I just didn't want to deal with this today, you know."_

" _Jackie, this is exactly what I'm talking about; you've gotta stop letting Hyde get to you. He's not worth it."_

 _There was a long silence, and when Hyde was about to walk away, Jackie began to speak again. "You know what, you're absolutely right, Brooke. He's not worth it. He's not worth anything! You know, I used to think that even though Steven's parents were both gross and trashy, that he wasn't; that he was different. But you know what I'm starting to realize? He's not! He's trash, too, just like them. I mean, he is the dictionary definition of white trash, Brooke. He married a stripper from Vegas, grew that stupid mustache that made him look like a freakin' porn star, and now, he's always drunk. He reeks of cheap beer and cheap women. I mean, he's constantly sucking the nasty face off of some trashy whore he's picked up at a bar. He's the king of white trash, Brooke. It's no wonder his parents took off on him. He's hopeless. Ew. God, I have no idea what I ever saw in him. Pft!_ _I_ _was way too good for him."_

 _Nearby, Hyde frowned and gritted his teeth._

 _Then Brooke sighed. "Jackie, I don't mean to judge, but you seem to be holding on to a lot of unhealthy anger. Continually getting upset over what your ex-boyfriend is doing is not going to make it go away either. In fact, I know of a great book that might help you get some real closure."_

" _Oh, no, no, no. Cosmo is my break-up manual, Brooke. And it's helped me get PLENTY of freakin' closure! I could care less what that pig does… I'm completely over him… I mean, according to Cosmo, Steven is just one of those losers who still lives in his parents' basement and… Yeah, I just hate him… I wouldn't touch that jerk with a ten-foot pole, even if someone bribed me with a thousand pairs of designer shoes. I'd be too afraid to catch some trailer trash disease or something." Jackie cackled at that, making Hyde's jaw clench as he made his way downstairs._

" _Cunt," he mumbled to himself. Fuck her. She was just pissed that he dumped her for someone hotter and would rather fuck every single one of those trashy whores than her. Fucking bitch. As Hyde stepped into his room, his chest hurting, Carrie reached out to him, naked from his bed._

" _What took you so long?"_

" _Get your clothes on. We're gettin' the hell out of here." Hyde grabbed his wallet and keys and put on his coat while his pseudo-girlfriend gave him a strange look._

" _Hyde, are you alright?"_

" _Now, Carrie!" he shouted, feeling his throat go dry and his heart begin to pound painfully inside his chest. As Hyde looked around his small basement room, he started to feel like the loser trash that Jackie thought he was and wondered if she had ever really loved him or if the rich bitch had just been slumming it for kicks. Either way, he was over it, ready to get as far away from that conceited cunt as he could before he blew up and ruined Thanksgiving for Mrs. Forman._

 _Feeling strangely deflated, Hyde glanced over at the confused and naked girl modestly hiding behind a pillow on his bed. "Come on, let's go," he said more softly. "I'll go to your family's thing now, if you want."_

" _No, it's okay. We can go back to my dorm. Nobody's there." The brunette got off his bed and pressed her nude body flush against his clothed one, closing her eyes when he grabbed her ass and tugged her closer. "We can finish what we started."_

 _Hyde simply stared straight ahead, deep in thought, as she kissed and sucked on his neck. "So, what, Carrie, are you too embarrassed to bring me to meet your family? I'm not good enough?"_

" _No. I just know that my dad isn't going to approve if he catches you fucking me under his roof." Grinning, she reached around to pat his butt. "And the way you make me scream, we'll get caught for sure."_

 _Hyde felt his already stiff dick jump in his jeans. "So, that's it? That's what you want from me? Sex?"_

 _The girl grimaced. "No. I thought we were going to…Hyde, what is up with you right now? One minute you're raring to go and the next you're acting like...this." She stopped and seemed to be waiting for some sort of response, but all he gave her was a scowl, prompting her frustrated sigh. "I'll go."_

" _No. Come on. You want to fuck? Let's fuck." Being anything but gentle, Hyde grabbed a chunk of his date's hair and yanked her head back to face him, intrigued by her reaction. "Is this how you like it, Carrie? Huh? You like it rough?" At that, she slowly nodded, her eyes glazed over with a fresh mix of embarrassment and lust as he spun her around and forced her down over his dresser, dropping his pants and driving into her without warning, setting a hard, rapid pace and grunting loudly as he ruthlessly, thoughtlessly fucked her. "You know what I think, Carrie?" he managed through heavy breath, taking another fistful of her hair, thoroughly enjoying the sharp whimper that left her lips as he jerked her head backwards. "I think you don't want your rich, important daddy seeing who you like to get fucked BY." With each violent thrust, Hyde's completion drew closer but it was when he heard the familiar looking brunette bite out a curse and scream his first name—as instructed—feeling her body throb around him in orgasm, that he came harder than he had in a while._

 _Afterward, Hyde drove Carrie home in silence and never called her again, never again craving the one thing she offered: another chance…_

Hyde looked around the fancy lobby of the news station and cringed, mostly at himself. He hadn't thought about Carrie in years, but maturity suddenly brought a pang of guilt. There was no doubt that he had treated her like shit on that last day, but she reminded him too much of Jackie and unfortunately, for that, she also received the brunt of Jackie's anger. And although the girl seemed to really enjoy his particular brand of treatment, it was why he never called her again—that, and the fact that he had lost his craving for the past. It was all blondes and redheads from that day forward, no brunette, pretty or not, stood a chance.

Speaking of… "You ready?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Hyde stood up and shot Jackie a faint smile. She was all bundled up in her white coat, scarf, gloves, and even a little hat—as if it were mid-January. She looked beautiful. "Let's go."

* * *

 **The El Camino**

While the heater slowly warmed them, Hyde sat and watched as Jackie's eyes flashed over every inch of his car. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. I just haven't been in here in… God, five years. I can't believe you still _have_ this car."

Hyde shrugged. "It was a gift. From Leo. What can I say? I've got the Grooves van, too."

"Wait. Why does Grooves need a van?" Jackie asked as Hyde finally pulled away.

"Well, that's what WB was wondering. See, a couple of years ago, Kelso and I thought it would be funny if WB bought the store a van. I forget why that would be funny." Hyde's mischievous grin fell as he glanced over at Jackie. "But now I'm stuck doing chain runs since I'm the only one with a freakin' van. So, I guess it's not really that funny anymore." Giving him a poke, Jackie giggled and settled into her seat, content to watch him as he drove. "So where are we going?" he asked her. "Visiting hours don't start 'til six."

"Your place, I guess."

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **3:04 PM**

The front door swung open, and Hyde tipped his head casually, directing his ex-girlfriend inside with a barely visible smirk. It brought a strange feeling to his gut to see her step into his domain, the place he practically shared with another chick. Pieces and parts of Jessica were peppered throughout the space and up until now, Hyde hadn't noticed just how much. There was evidence of her hidden in every corner and noticing before even him was Jackie. As he watched her pick up Vogue's October issue, Hyde realized that his girlfriend was a clever chick; she had marked him, staked her claim without him even knowing it—maybe for this very occasion.

The beautiful woman invading Jessica's territory arched her brow and set down the magazine. "It's nice, Steven. It's a little messy, though…" she commented with what Hyde interpreted as a flirtatious grin, with telling eyes that lingered on him until she coyly turned away and gave his heart an extra thump. "But I like it. It's bigger than I thought it would be. Made for two," she added as an afterthought as she lifted a pillow off the couch and took a seat. "Does Jessica _live_ with you?"

Still standing by the door, Hyde cleared his throat. "No. But she's here a lot."

"Oh."

Something on the television hutch caught Jackie's eye and affected her in an unexpected way. It was a small framed picture of Hyde in a suit, sitting on the steps of a church with Jessica between his legs. To Jackie, they looked happy, and although she knew that his happiness should be hers, she felt a stab of resentment. The selfish voice in the back of her brain told her that Jessica was enjoying the fruits of _her_ labor. She had invested everything in him, taken so much crap, shed so many tears, paid her dues in pain and heartbreak, and this blonde, who smiled sweetly back at her, got the prize, having no idea what it took to get him there, clueless to the torture she had endured that allowed this woman to be held so lovingly by him on those steps. Jackie closed her eyes and shook off the terrible thoughts. He wasn't hers, and she didn't want him to be; she had her own life now. These were just remnants of old feelings that plagued her on occasion, coming back to annoy her. They would disappear any day now; she was sure of it.

"You thirsty?" Hyde asked, finally stepping closer into the room, glancing briefly at the picture that Jackie held. "I think I might have soda."

"No." Forgetting all about the picture and resentful thoughts, Jackie stepped toward Hyde, pinching his shirt between her fingers when she reached him. "Okay. Here's what we're going to do. You," she pointed, "are going to get out of these wet clothes, take a hot shower, and then put on something clean and dry while I go get you something to eat. Sound good?"

It didn't sound good, it sounded great. Hyde felt warmer already. He had forgotten how much Jackie felt like home when so chose, probably because she was the first to really define it for him. Although the Forman's gave him a room and a bed when he was young, Jackie was the first to make those things warm and comfortable. But there was one problem. "Actually, it's pretty bad out there and you don't know my car."

"I've driven it before, Steven. I'm a big girl."

Taking a moment, Hyde thought through it. The weather was terrible and the streets were flooded; he could tell her no, but there was one thing about the stubborn woman who stood with furrowed brows before him: she never listened to shit he said. "Just be careful, okay. Go to McDonalds. It's closest."

"I'll go to Fatso Burger. You hate McDonalds."

Grinning knowingly, Hyde shook his head and decided that Jackie hadn't changed at all; she was the same pain the ass that had been driving him nuts since elementary school.

"I've got this, Steven," she insisted, pushing his frozen body toward the hallway. "Go get warm."

"Okay. Oh," he said, stopping and turning around. "Go in my room. My wallet is on my dresser. I'm buying."

"Yeah, you are," she said, laughing. "Now, go get warm."

With a final shove from her, Hyde headed into his bathroom and began to peel off his iced over clothes. The day's events replayed in his mind as he turned on the water, twisting the knob until steam began to rise, and with a pull, the loud hiss of his shower sounded off. Still shivering, Hyde stepped inside and nearly screamed at the contrast of scalding hot water against his freezing skin.

"Crap," he grumbled, lowering the temperature until he felt relief.

She was right: a hot shower was what he needed. It practically made him want to come right there as he melted beneath it. No longer focused on the cold, Hyde realized how tired and hungry he was, and the knowledge that Jackie was out there getting him food made him breathe out and drop his head back in gratitude. She was his angel today; one he didn't deserve.

While he washed up and shifted his concerns over to Leo, Jackie was in his room, digging through his wallet.

"Steven, you moron, you have _two_ dollars," she mumbled to herself. After searching a few more pockets, all she found was his driver's license, a couple of credit cards and the single square of a black and white photo strip—another picture of him and Jessica. He was frowning at the camera while the blond smiled exuberantly. Jackie let out a small chuckle. "Oh, Steven. You never change, do you?" Putting his wallet down, Jackie noticed the closet and decided that she would lay out some warm-weather clothes for him before she left, seeing that his Dickies jacket was soaked all the way through.

Jackie sifted through his clothes. "T-shirt, t-shirt, t-shirt. Oh, wow. You have suits. Nice ones." She came across a black hooded sweatshirt and pulled it out, tossing it to his bed. At her feet were stacks of boxes. Most were small, brown moving boxes but the one on the bottom was light orange and she recognized it. Looking around anxiously, Jackie dropped to her knees and quickly pulled it out. It used to hold his keepsakes, mostly his birth certificate, tons of packages of rolling papers and other circle paraphernalia along with a few pictures.

Jackie's heart pounded furiously. Hyde would kill her if he found out what she was doing, but she had to look—she was Jackie freakin' Burkhart, and it was in her nature. There had, at one time, been a couple of pictures of her in that box, pictures he never returned and God, she just _had_ to know. Off came the lid as she began to sort through all the random items inside: a newspaper clipping about Grooves, several record covers (Jimi Hendrix, Judas Priest, Zeppelin IV), some bills, the title to the El Camino, a photo of Eric and Donna, a photo of Hyde, Kelso and Fez, a photo of Kitty, and a photo of Hyde with WB. _None of her_. Why that upset her, she wasn't sure, but all Jackie could imagine was that Hyde had thrown them away sometime in the two years after their break-up, during his peak hatred for her.

Jackie was just about to close up the box when something yellow caught her eye. Frantically pulling everything back out, she saw something she hadn't noticed before: a false bottom, a piece of cardboard that covered the base and when she pulled it up, her heart came alive—almost a dozen pictures of her littered its floor. Looking though the stack of photos, Jackie could only imagine that he was hiding them from Jessica. Because if she were Jessica, and found these pictures, they would be in the trash so fast he wouldn't even know what happened.

With a giddy smile, Jackie flipped through the photographs, some of her and Hyde together and some of her alone. She hadn't seen some of them in over five years and hadn't looked at her own stack of Steven photos in almost two. They were so young looking, so far away in time, so high, so happy. She flipped to the one of her lying atop Hyde on the basement couch, both red-eyed and watching TV. Fez had taken it. The next picture was the same shot except focused mostly on her ass. Freakin' Fez. And, of course, Hyde kept it.

"Oh, my God." Jackie looked at her watch. She still needed to get his food.

After putting everything back into place, she found her purse, grabbed his car keys, and left.

* * *

Forty-Seven Minutes Later.

 _Hyde sat alone on his couch watching videos on MTV._ He couldn't help but cringe at Steve Perry's new video, "Oh, Sherrie." Why did the hell did he watch this crap? He hated half the music, but the crap was so damn addicting. He must have had like 30 stations at his disposal, yet he continued to watch this one as he sat and pondered over two things: how Steve Perry got hot chicks while being such a complete douche and where in the hell was Jackie? It had been over an hour since he got in the shower and he was beginning to worry.

He heard a click and looked over to find her open his front door with a smile. "Hey."

"Jackie, what the hell," Hyde said as he shot up from the couch to take the bags from her hands. "Where've you been? I was worried, man."

Jackie's face lit up. "Aw. You were worried about me?"

Re-thinking what he had just said, Hyde backtracked. "No. I was... worried about my car."

"Mm-hm." Jackie slipped around him. "Just for that, Steven Hyde, _you_ don't get a cheeseburger." She took a seat on the couch. "They're both mine."

Hyde sat down next to her. "You can't do that. I paid for them."

"Wrong. I paid for them. _You_ had two dollars." Jackie pulled food from the white, Fatso Burger bag, setting everything down on the coffee table before taking a sip of her Diet Tab. "Smells good, doesn't it?" Unwrapping the yellow paper from her burger, Jackie prepared to take a bite. "Admit you were worried about me and not just your car."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "What took you so long, anyway?"

"Sheridan Street's flooded," Jackie said, handing him a burger. "I had to go around. It's a big ol' mess out there."

"Damn."

Jackie handed him his fries, too. "I'm still waiting to hear how worried you were about me," she informed him with a smirk. "This isn't over."

"And it never will be, sweetheart," Hyde said with his own smirk before taking a taunting bite from his sandwich. "Oh, could you uh, pass me some of those little ketchup packets?"

Jackie smiled. "Sure," she said sweetly as she grabbed all three ketchup packets and, never taking her eyes off him, tossed them behind her back toward the kitchen. "There you go."

"Real cute, Jackie."

Jackie popped one his fries into her mouth and winked. "Thank you."

* * *

An Old-School Half-Circle

4:56 PM

 _The video for Faithfully by Journey plays on MTV on Hyde's television._

 _Highway run  
Into the midnight sun  
Wheels go round and round  
You're on my mind..._

 _Jackie sat cross-legged on the floor between Hyde's spread legs, paying no mind to the TV. A_ lready higher than she could ever remember being, she raised their second joint. "To Leo," she exclaimed as she took a drag, coughed, and passed the joint back to Hyde.

"To Leo," he said and in a moment of seriousness or maybe he was just seriously high—he couldn't tell—he held out the joint in front of Jackie and held it there. "Alright. I know your little re-virginized lungs have been overloaded a lot lately, but you've been hanging out with me and I'm not sorry about it. Smoke up." Hyde grinned as she took it from his hand. Watching a goody-two-shoes get baked was always the highlight of any circle. It was too bad he could never talk Jessica into it.

With a smile, Jackie reached out and once again pinched Hyde's sweatshirt between her fingers. "Mm. I like this song, Steven."

"I hate this song, and I hate this band." The two of them stared at each other briefly before breaking down into laughter.

"Well, not one of them is hot," Jackie reasoned, swallowing hard at the nervousness that was collecting in her throat. He was looking straight at her, blue eyes piercing through her indifferent facade.

"That has nothing to do with it, Jackie," he said softly. "Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are hideous but they make sweet music."

"I'm not sure if that's such a great trade-off, though—good looks for talent."

"Yeah, Mick and Keith must have great parents," Hyde mumbled to himself, finally looking away.

"What?"

"Huh? Oh. Well, after many hours of circle debate, Kelso and I came up with a theory. See, there are three things you can be born with: good looks, brains or great parents. Now, you can have two but never all three. It's cosmic law, kismet. Example – Forman is smart with great parents, Donna is smart with good looks, Kelso has great parents with good looks. My girlfriend, she's got brains and looks but an asshole dad. Oh, and a complete bitch for a sister," Hyde digressed.

Jackie thought about it and shrugged her shoulders happily. "Mm. Not true. Colin's got all three."

Hyde sneered. "Oh, well isn't that," and then shot her a raspberry.

"Steven," Jackie swatted at his chest, "cut it out. Okay, so what about Fez?" she asked, changing the apparently sore subject of her boyfriend.

Hyde took a hit and handed the joint back to Jackie. "Yeah, that rule doesn't apply to foreigners."

"What about you and me?"

"Come on, Jackie."

"Yeah... it was a dumb question."

A quick glance at his watch told Hyde that it was one minute to five, one hour until visiting hours at the hospital began. His thoughts returned to Leo but then her small, manicured hand lifted his chin and revealed to him a smile. "Here," she said, handing him the joint.

"Nah, I'm done. I don't want to be too messed up… You finished?"

Jackie nodded, and he stamped the cherry out in an ashtray. Returning his attention to the woman between his legs, something came over him and he reached his arms out to pull her closer. "Hey."

Jackie looked up, somewhat startled at the feeling of his hands pressing down on the small of her back, holding her in place. But what made her more nervous was the intensity in his stare. "What is it, Steven?" she asked quietly.

"Thanks."

"For…"

"For being here."

Swallowing hard, Jackie tried to calm her breathing. They were really close and the last time things got this close, she ended up sleeping with him.

"Of course. It's…" She watched him glance slightly downwards and knew immediately that it was her lips he was noticing, which were slightly open and suddenly feeling very dry. "It's what friends do for each other." Jackie licked her lips, then froze. Oh, crap. That was an invite, wasn't it? Breathe. Wait, don't breathe. She swallowed again and looked at his lips; they moved, but no sound came out. Was it her name he said? Or didn't say.

They both jumped when the phone rang, and Jackie backed up slightly, realizing that her lips had been a mere inch from his. Hyde's eyes shifted toward the phone, then back to her, but he didn't move. His hands continued to caress her back.

Briefly, Jackie glanced in the direction of the ringing phone.

He wasn't going to answer.

The answering machine picked up, and Jackie and Hyde reestablished eye contact upon the sound of her voice. _"Hi, baby. It's me. I'm so sorry about this morning. My dad was bitching at me to go… Steven? Are you there? I called the store but no one answered… I've been thinking about you all day_..."

Hyde looked down, the first to sever the connection, and closed his eyes.

 _"Call me as soon as you get this. I love you. Bye."_

It was then that Jackie felt like… Sam: a homewrecking whore.

Taking the cue that rested on Hyde's pale face, Jackie backed up and got to her feet, awkwardly taking a seat on the couch.

Snapping from his daze, Hyde stood up and grinned in an attempt to ease the tension. "Why don't we just watch the news?" Desperate to get the sappy music away from their altered and obviously corrupted brains, he leaned down to change the channels on the TV. "There," he said, stopping. "The news." Taking a deep breath, Hyde sat down on the other couch, as far from his ex as possible. "That's … safe."

"Yeah… safe." And there they sat, in awkward silence, for over a half an hour until it was time to go.

* * *

 **Kenosha Medical Center – ICU**

 **6:01 PM**

Holding hands, Hyde and Jackie walked into Leo's room, lit by a solitary light fixed above the aging hippie's head. The ominous beep of a monitor and the loud hush of forced air as it was pumped into Leo's lungs brought it all crashing down for Hyde. His friend looked old and fragile, almost devoid of life. "What… What am I supposed to say to him?" he asked Jackie.

"I don't know." Stopping a few feet short of the bed, Hyde stared at the old man, asleep in what could potentially be his death bed. It was surreal to see him without that welcoming smile or his usual scowl of confusion. Anything would've been better than this. Anything.

"What if he…" Hyde watched intently as Jackie stepped forward and smoothed her hand over Leo's. Craning her neck back, she laid her most loving gaze on Hyde, whose mental strength used to terrify her; he seemed so vulnerable suddenly, not at all what she was expecting. He was typically the strong one, the bravest amongst them.

Jackie extended her hand. "Come on, Steven," she said softly. "It's okay."

Moving in behind her, he looked over her shoulder at his friend, when she suddenly slipped away.

"Where are you going?"

"To get you a chair," she whispered and grabbed the one closest to her, pulling it around to the other side of the bed. "Sit, Steven." As he did, Jackie grabbed one for herself and sat down next to him. Taking Hyde's hand, she interlaced her fingers with his. "Just talk to him, Steven. Talk about something that'll make him happy."

"Like what?" he asked her, his eyes searching hers for the answer. "I don't…"

"Yes, you do." Jackie grinned warmly before resting her head on his shoulder. "You can do this."

Squeezing her hand, Hyde proceeded to tell the slumbering Leo about the time Kelso organized a 'Dine and Dash.'

* * *

One Hour Later

 _Jackie lounged on her chair with her legs draped over Hyde's as he stood at the foot of Leo's bed, watching as a nurse changed out his IV bag._

"So, you don't know?" he asked the nurse.

"Not yet," the woman replied. "People can be in comas for days, weeks, months even, but it's usually only a couple of days. His body's been through a major trauma, and we're honestly just hoping he makes it through the night. And then we'll see about tomorrow." The nurse gave him a sympathetic smile and walked out, leaving Hyde feeling hopeless.

Jackie leapt off her chair and coiled her arms tightly around Hyde's neck. "Oh, Steven."

Closing his eyes, Hyde pulled her body nearer to his and burrowed his face deep into her hair. Not much could be heard from the outside world but hidden beneath the beeps and hushes of the room were the soothing whispers that Jackie breathed tenderly into his ear, making Hyde fall in love with her all over again. "Don't listen to her, Steven. Don't listen to any of them. He'll be fine. All of it will be fine. You'll see, baby. I promise. Please don't be sad. I'm here... I'm here..." Tearful kisses covered his ear and his cheek, finally finding his mouth, teaching both that a kiss really can make the world, and all its painful complications, disappear.

Hyde felt her soft lips meet his and caught a puff of her hot breath along with a small taste of the heat hidden beneath. Another kiss, and she parted her lips, giving him what he had been seeking all along: relief. No hot shower could compare to her warmth, no dry sweatshirt, no Fatso burger. She was it, and they both got lost in the feeling, their tongues brushing deeper and deeper with each kiss, until they suddenly remembered where they were and pulled away.

"Come here," Hyde muttered, taking her hand. He sat down in his chair and pulled her onto his lap, letting her curl into him as he placed her legs over the arms of the chair beside them. "What do you want to do?"

"Sit with you," she responded quietly, grazing her fingers over the scars on his right hand. It was apparent, what she was thinking about, and Hyde glanced over at the small scar on her temple, giving the evidence of their second biggest secret a feather-light kiss...

 _June 18, 1982_

 _Point Place, Wisconsin_

 _8:16 PM_

 _A single shove sent Jackie flying backwards into the second-hand couch that furnished her small living room. As her back slammed into the hard wood that made up its arm, the lack of remorse in his eyes came into view. But it was when his body sunk down over hers that she panicked and burst into tears. "Get off me," she screamed, trying to keep his hands away from the zipper of her jeans._

" _Come on, Jackie. I thought you like guys who treat you like shit. I'll bet you like it rough, too, don't you?"_

" _NO! GET OFF ME!" Jackie pushed and shoved, but his weight wouldn't budge. Thankfully, and just in time, something Donna taught her resurfaced to the front of her mind._

" _I always knew you were a whore…AH!" The jerk grabbed at his crotch and winced painfully as he fell to the floor, allowing Jackie a chance to get up and run into her bedroom. Her heart pounded as she slammed the door shut, locked it, and rushed around her dresser. She pushed and pushed but it, too, wouldn't budge. She just wasn't strong enough and right then, she knew that a Jolly Green Giant body like Donna's had its uses. Swearing she would never put down her big-boned friend again, Jackie ran to her bed's side table in tears and picked up the phone, dialing Donna._

" _Come on," she cried out, glancing quickly at the door. "Come on, come on, come on." But it kept ringing. She hung up and called Eric's house._

 _Nothing._

 _"Damn!" Next, she dialed Fez. "Fez! Oh my God, Fez, I need you to…No, wait, listen Fez…" The foreigner had hung up, swearing to call her back; he was with a girl. Jackie began to cry hysterically. Tucking herself against her bed, she considered who to call next. She knew who she really wanted to call, but wasn't sure he would even come. And then there was Kelso, but he was all the way in Chicago._

 _Suddenly, there was a pounding on her door. "What do you think, you cheating little slut? I can't knock down a door?"_

" _Go away, Chris! I didn't cheat on you, you idiot! You're drunk! Just leave me alone!"_

 _Jackie reached up into her drawer to grab her phone book. After slithering underneath her bed like a snake, Jackie looked up Hyde's phone number and dialed._

 _...Four blocks away…_

" _Come on, Hyde. We're going to be late."_

 _Hyde straightened up. "It's a bar. You can't be late for a bar, you… moron," he grumbled, crouching back down to look underneath his bed for his keys. "Where the hell did you put 'em?"_

" _You had them last," his current chick—a bar buddy named Gwen—said, rolling her eyes. "And if you weren't drunk all the time, you'd probably remember that."_

" _You know, you're really starting to—" The phone rang, and they both looked over. It rang again. "So, are you going to get that for me or are you just going to stand there?" The blond rolled her eyes and picked up the phone._

" _Hello… Yeah… Yeah…" The girl sighed and made a face. "It's for you."_

" _Nooo, really?" Hyde stood up. "Who is it, Einstein?"_

" _How the hell should I know? Probably some skank you're sleeping with, who knows."_

" _Probably," he said with a smirk and snatched the phone from her hand. "Hello?"_

 _"Steven? Steven, help! Please!"_

" _Jackie?"_

 _"Steven," his ex-girlfriend sobbed out in short bursts. "Please. I n…need you. I'm re…really scared."_

" _Where are you?"_

 _"Home," she whispered out just as Hyde heard a male voice shouting, followed by a violent crash in the background and Jackie screaming._

" _I'll be right there," Hyde shouted and slammed down the phone, then turned to Gwen. "Where the fuck are my keys?!"_

" _I told you, I don't know!"_

" _God damn it!" After throwing a few things around in an attempt to locate them, Hyde gave up and ran out his front door toward Jackie's apartment, only a few blocks away. He reached the front door to her building two minutes later and swung it open, rushing inside to find Jackie running down the stairs. At the third step from the bottom, she hurled her body at him and sent them both flying back against the wall._

" _Steven! Oh, God! Thank you, thank you," she said, securing her arms and legs tightly around his body as she cried into his neck. "I knew you'd come!"_

" _Jackie, what the hell's going on," he asked frantically, peeling her off and setting her down to inspect her, instantly finding a stream of blood running down the right side of her face. His jaw clenched. "Did that fucker hit you?"_

" _He threw the remote control at me and tried to…" She dragged two fingers over the warm liquid on her face and began to cry harder when she realized what was causing the wrathful expression on Hyde's face: her own blood. "Oh, God."_

" _He's fucking dead!"_

" _No, Steven! Don't leave me!" She grabbed his arm for dear life as he took off for her floor. "Please!"_

 _Hyde stopped. "Jackie, c'mere." He pulled her beneath the stairs and up against the wall, lifting her shaking hands over her ears for her. "I want you to stay right here. Don't move until I come back for you, okay?"_

 _Jackie nodded as she continued to sob. "Please be careful. He's really angry."_

" _I'm angrier," he assured her; cupping her tear-stained cheeks. "Stay right here. Don't move."_

" _Okay," Jackie said before she took a deep breath and shut her eyelids, letting the intensity in his blue eyes be the image that froze in her mind's eye as his lips gently brushed over hers and then… he was gone._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Magnet and Steel**

* * *

 _January 7, 1978_

" _Ste-ven. Are you still mad at me?" Hyde was ahead of her, by about three feet, as he moved briskly into the Forman living room._

" _Yes!"_

" _Oh, baby." Jackie tried to pout but couldn't restrain her giggle as she dropped her coat onto Red's tacky green chair. "I swear I didn't know they were going to take such a liking to you."_

 _Plopping down on the couch, Hyde maintained his scowl and crossed his arms over his chest, moving only to grab the remote before returning to his angry position. "There were ten other flippers there, Jackie."_

" _I know," she said soothingly, sitting down beside him. "But none of the other boys were as cute as you."_

" _They were all twelve!"_

" _Oh, my poor Steven…" she purred, leaning in and taking a nip at his ear. "Let me make it up to you, Puddin' Pop."_

" _No." Hyde bucked his shoulder and moved his head. "I don't want to. I'm tired. If I'd have known I had to wake up at five in the damn morning for that crap, I would have never agreed to it."_

" _But I asked so nicely," Jackie reminded him with a soft kiss for his neck._

" _Well then just go back to being a bossy pain in the ass, and_ _I'll_ _go back to being pissed off about it."_

" _No, Steven. Now, be nice. I'm trying to tell you that I really do appreciate it," she hinted again, laying several kisses under his jaw and dragging her hand over the bulge in his jeans. "You were so cute with your little spatula and your mean, angry face."_

" _Quit it. Come on," Hyde said, sincere as he looked at her. "I'm really, really beat, Jackie. I was up 'til two o'clock last night."_

" _Oh, c'mere." Taking pity on him, Jackie eased his head onto her shoulder, feeling the weight of his body as it sunk down against hers. A smile graced her lips at the thought of her usually dirty-minded boyfriend actually choosing to cuddle over a roll in his Spiderman sheets. But he was tired and worn from the demanding Girl Scout Alumni pancake breakfast, and as much as he had complained privately, he did nothing at all to embarrass her. And she loved him that much more for it._ " _Thank you for going with me, Steven," she said, tousling his hair gently._

" _You can thank me when I wake up," Hyde mumbled softly, making Jackie look down to find that his eyes were already closed. And then, as if to signal his descent into sleep, he tightened his hold around her waist only to relax it again, not saying another word for the next two hours as Jackie watched 'Poseidon Adventure' and snuggled up with the grumpiest, sweetest pancake flipper in all of Wisconsin…_

 **November 5, 1984 – 7:36 PM**

 **Kenosha Medical Center**

Still curled in Hyde's lap, Jackie sighed softly, content to bask in the warm, cozy feelings that his sleeping body evoked. There was the tiniest tingle, a chill, that stung the corners of her jaw and she had to smile in response as she nuzzled her nose into his hair. It smelled clean and sweet, like his shampoo. Inquisitively moving down to his temple, Jackie immersed herself in the fresh, soapy scent of his skin and grinned blissfully with each breath she took. God help her, the temptation to taste him was excruciating but Jackie resisted and instead tucked his head beneath her chin, holding him tightly to her shoulder.

From her skewed vantage point, Jackie studied his every feature, starting with his eyelashes, down to the tip of his nose and then to his lips. She wondered how after all those volatile years apart, through all of the hate and pain, they still wound up huddled together in a tiny chair, hanging on to each other as if not a single minute had passed. It was a crazy world, and an amazing one, all at the same time.

Oddly enough, it made Jackie feel like a gallant war veteran, having dragged her battle buddy through mud and gunfire for nearly five years, stumbling and falling time after time as he seemed to sabotage her every move. And now, here they were, lying on the edge of a quiet river, resting in each other's arms, battle worn and too tired to continue the fight, ready to go home.

Jackie kissed Hyde's forehead, and he shifted in the seat, pressing his body even closer to hers and nuzzling his face deeper into the crevice of her neck. "Hey, Jess," he rasped quietly, tickling her neck with his breath.

"It's Jackie," she corrected flatly, feeling like the biggest fool on the planet. But it became apparent that he was barely awake when he raised his head from her shoulder and squinted at her blearily.

A moment passed, and he gave her a drowsy smile. "Hey."

"Hey," she whispered, feeling disappointed by his mistake but not angry.

"How's Leo doin'?"

"The same."

Nodding, Hyde squeezed her lightly and then relaxed his arms again. "How long was I out?"

"About an hour," she answered, wanting to laugh at the confused expression that plagued his face. "Steven, what's wrong?"

"Well..." He absentmindedly rubbed his index and middle finger over his bottom lip and then looked at her sincerely. "Was Kelso just in here with a dog, wearing matching pajamas?"

With a furrowed brow, Jackie shook her head.

"Oh. Good."

* * *

Emergency Room/Triage Nurse's Station

"I don't care, Missy! If you don't want me calling your mother, who I happen to work with by the way, then you'd better try! And she told me about you, Miss Snarky Mouth. I mean, _really_! Refusing to bring a pie to Thanksgiving dinner last year! What kind of a daughter are you?"

Frantically, Eric shook his head. "Mom, I don't think…"

"Zip it, dumb ass," Red warned his son.

Kitty continued. "You just better tell me where my baby is, right now! Before I tell her what I saw you doing behind the ambulance bay last week!"

In the face of the older woman's frenzied threats, the young RN running the triage station maintained her composure. "Nurse Forman. I've already told you. There is no record of a Steven Hyde coming in today."

Growing more and more anxious by the minute, the mother of two began to search behind the nurse's head. "I know he's here… my precious boy! Where is he?"

"Mrs. Forman," Donna interrupted. "Maybe you heard the policeman wrong. You know, sometimes when you've been drinking…"

Kitty turned her glare on her daughter-in-law-to-be. "What did you say?"

"Oh, Donna," Eric groaned, shaking his head. "No."

Donna suddenly became nervous. "I'm sorry, I just thought…"

"Just keep your head down, if you know what's good for you," Red interjected in a low voice. "She'll lose interest eventually." Cautiously, Donna and Eric followed Red's lead and lowered their gazes to the floor, feeling the burn of Kitty's tight-lipped death scowl as they stood motionless.

Donna turned her head just slightly toward her fiancé. "Is she still looking?"

"Uh-huh."

As her husband of thirty-four years had predicted, Kitty eventually lost interest and returned her attention to the young nurse in white. "I am losing my patience here, little Miss… Miss… Janitor-fondler!"

The nurse gasped. "Nurse Forman! I don't know what to tell you! He's not here!"

Growing hysterical, Kitty began to point sternly on the counter, shaking with each syllable that exploded off her tongue. "Well, all I know is that my Steven's store collapsed, and the police said he was brought into _this_ hospital _this_ morning and you better find him _right now_ before I reach across this counter and rip your little…"

"Oh, no, no. His name wasn't Steven," a young blonde L.P.N. interrupted. "That was his son."

Eric stepped up. "Wait. Whose son?"

"Um… the older guy who they brought in after the shopping center collapse. He has a son… curly hair… sideburns."

The small woman started to hop and clap excitedly. "Yes! Yes! That's my Steven!"

The blonde nurse continued. "Leo! That was his name. Yeah, he got sent up to ICU earlier in the day."

"Oh, my God." Following Kitty, the rest of the Forman family, even Red, took off quickly for the elevators and headed straight up to ICU.

* * *

 **New York City, NY**

 **The Crowne Plaza**

 **Two Hours Earlier**

"You comin'?"

Colin looked up. "Yeah. Hang on." The phone continued to ring over and over again in his ear. He'd been calling Jackie all day—at home, at work—and all Kevin could tell him was that she was on assignment, and he had no idea when she would be back.

"Dude! The game starts in eighteen minutes!"

Colin ignored his friend.

"Come on, baby. Pick up the phone," he mumbled to himself before finally hanging up, giving up on ring number fourteen. "Shit." Something told him not to go. Something told him to stay in the room and keep trying to call her, to make it all up to her. Jackie was more important than a game, or his job, or his idiot friends, although he wasn't sure that agreeing to New York again, going out every night since, and then choosing the Knicks over her was exactly sending that message.

"She's not there. Let's go."

Colin shook his head; sick of everybody pulling him in a thousand different directions while the only one who mattered sat a thousand miles away, thinking he'd rather attend a basketball game than talk to her. Colin scooted back on the bed and grabbed the remote, flipping the TV on as his friend, Adam, stared at him in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Go without me. I'm going to stay here."

"What? Whatever, man. Fine." Grumbling, his friend walked out into the hall with others who were waiting. "Leave him. We'll sell his ticket in the parking lot..."

They took off, leaving Colin on the bed where he would watch the Knicks game on TV, order room service, try to call his girlfriend six more times, and eventually fall asleep in his clothes...

* * *

 **Kenosha, WI**

 **ICU**

"You think he'll wake up?" Hyde asked Jackie as he stared at the bruised and bandaged hippy.

"Of course," Jackie replied from his lap, studying Leo's sleeping figure, too.

"Hey, I wonder if he even knows what's going on."

"Steven, he never knows what's going on, even when he's conscious."

Arching a single brow, Hyde nodded. She had a point. Leo's comatose mind was probably in a hash bar in Amsterdam, enjoying a never-ending circle.

Just then, Jackie did something he wasn't expecting. The moment he flipped his eyes back up at hers, she slipped her fingers into his hair and began to rub and scratch at the back of his head. It felt fantastic, and his eyelids nearly drifted shut until he caught himself. She was drawing him closer as she massaged, and he found himself not wanting to stop her.

Pulling away, Hyde focused on the ground and swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Jackie, what are you doing?"

"What? I'm just…" With her finger, Jackie lifted Hyde's chin until their eyes met once again. "Steven, look at me. I'm just trying to make you feel better, that's all," she said worriedly. "You used to like when I did that."

Hyde nodded. Yeah, he used to like when she did a lot of things back then. Although, he suspected that she was forgetting what it used to lead to, especially when she spread her fingers back through his hair again and whispered to him. "See, Steven? Doesn't that feel good?"

"Uh-huh," Hyde let out drowsily as her fingers lulled him into a lustful stupor and drew his head closer. Slowly, after lingering a moment to decide, Hyde found her lips and kissed them softly, closing his eyes as he sought out her warm, saccharine tongue. Just one more, he thought to himself, unaware that she was thinking the exact same thought. Just one… more… little... kiss…

A sharp gasp startled them. "STEVEN AND JACKIE!"

They parted and looked over. "Mrs. Forman," Hyde blurted out. "We… um…"

Climbing off of Hyde's lap and quickly moving over to the other chair, Jackie tried to rescue Hyde's stammering mess of an excuse, pointing to her own eye. "He had… a thing."

All Hyde could do was nod frantically and point at his ex. "That's it! She… That's… What she said. A thing."

He grinned charmingly but Kitty only continued to frown, not buying it.

"A thing?"

"Yeah…" Jackie continued. "A thing in his…his, uh..."

"Mouth?" The older woman asked.

"No… No. In his…uh, what's that called? Oh! His eye!"

Thinking quickly, Hyde closed one eye. "Right there," he said, pointing. " _Big_ thing."

"Uh-huh," Kitty urged them to continue, folding her arms.

"Yeah, and I was leaned over," Jackie continued, "trying to get it out for him and… I fell."

" _Into his mouth_?" Kitty asked again, not in any way convinced that the young ex-couple were doing anything other than making out, rather cozily, too, she thought.

Defeated, Hyde sighed. "Please don't say anything, Mrs. Forman."

"Well, where is your girlfriend, Steven? And _your_ boyfriend, Missy?"

"In Minneapolis."

"In New York."

Both their heads were down like two guilty kids being scolded by mom. Hyde could feel his chest constrict. This was bad. Really bad. He honestly didn't want to lose his current girlfriend but for some reason he couldn't seem to keep his mouth off his old one. "I'm _not_ going to say anything," Kitty assured them. "But you two need to think about what you're doing to those two lovely people who adore you both."

Jackie started to tear-up. It was the first time since arriving at the hospital that she thought of Colin. And she could only imagine how terrible she would feel if the situation were reversed, because although she was pretty used to being cheated on, it still never failed to hurt. But so far, he hadn't been unfaithful, and he swore he never would be. The strange part was: she believed him.

"Thank you, Mrs. Forman," Jackie muttered as Kitty set down her purse and picked up Leo's medical chart.

"Sweetie, don't be upset. Mistakes happen, but you learn from them. That's life."

Hearing a sniffle, Hyde looked over and felt it. More guilt. Damn it. "Hey. Jackie."

"Mom, where'd you go? We couldn't find you," Eric asked, walking in with Donna and Red, immediately noticing Jackie and Hyde sitting across the room. "Hey, man. What happened?"

"Jackie, what are you doing here?" Donna asked, walking over and quickly moving her focus to Hyde. "How'd she find out before we did? And what happened to Leo? Is he going to be alright?"

The guilty pair managed to answer the thousand questions that bombarded them for the next ten minutes, minus the details of how they "ran into" each other, claiming that they saw each other at a gas station in Milwaukee. It sounded plausible and concise and sure to spare them another inquisition. All the while, Mrs. Forman kept to her word. She didn't tell. Although the strange looks from Red, Donna and Eric told them both that things weren't as simple as they wanted them to be.

Kitty peeked at her watch. It was eight o'clock: the end of visiting hours. "You know Steven, if you had just told them he was family, we could have stayed longer, past visiting hours. In ICU, visiting hours are all day."

"I know. I figured that out after." As he said it, Hyde noticed Jackie look at him out of the corner of his eye. Wanting to look, but knowing he shouldn't, he kept his eyes down. They had avoided eye contact since the others arrived. But even without looking, Hyde knew the face she was wearing. It was her sympathetic one. The one where her chin quivered slightly and her bottom lip pouted. It was an expression that once made him uncomfortable, but now, he found it familiar and therefore comforting. Unfortunately, he had to ignore it.

"Well, come on," Kitty said. "It's time to go. I left all of our phone numbers with the charge nurse. She's a friend of mine. She'll call us if there's any change." Kitty noticed Hyde's expression. "Oh, Steven. He'll be fine." She grabbed his hands gently. "This is the best hospital in the area… Oh, does Leo have family left? His nurse was asking."

"Um, he's got two cousins, Theo and Larry, and he had a wife and son. But I don't know where any of them are now." The reason for her question finally struck Hyde. They were his next of kin. And he suddenly felt that same shaking in his chest, that burning sensation in his eyes that only stopped when Jackie hugged and kissed him earlier in the day. Suddenly, he felt his adoptive mother wind her arms around his neck in a loving hug and felt it once again go away.

"You're a good boy, Steven," Kitty whispered as she stood on her tip-toes, kissed his cheek and squeezed him with every ounce of love her little body contained before letting go and wiping her eyes. "Chop, chop. We need to go… Do you want us to take Jackie home?"

"No, I'll do it." Ignoring the raised eyebrows and confused stares of his friends, Hyde grabbed Jackie's hand, said goodbye and left. He wasn't in the mood for any crap tonight, and everyone seemed to know it, keeping quiet as the two left ahead of the group.

"Do you think they know?" Jackie asked him quietly.

"Yep."

* * *

 **Channel 4 News Station Parking Lot**

 **The El Camino**

"Hey, Steven?" Jackie asked. They'd been sitting quietly for a while.

"Yeah?"

"You're probably going to think I'm crazy but… do you want to go with me to the Illinois State Science and Technology Exposition tomorrow?"

With a confused scowl, Hyde turned his head and stared into Jackie's nervous, expectant eyes. Glancing down, he saw that her hands were wringing furiously—she was serious.

"Wait. Where?"

"To the Science and Technology Expo in Chicago. I have to go for work." Hyde's eyebrows furrowed deeper; he was even more confused, so Jackie twisted sideways to face him, biting her lip as she tried to figure out how to explain it. "Alright, look. I'm like a scout. Basically, I get sent to events the day prior or a few hours before the actual on-camera reporter goes. You know, to pick out the site or what parts of the event are newsworthy. They usually send a director but for stupid things like county fairs and wine tastings, they send me or Kevin."

"Who the hell's Kevin?"

"My friend. That's not the point. I need to go, but I hate going by myself to these things in downtown Chicago. Sometimes Colin comes, but he's in New York, and Kevin's covering something in Kenosha… I think you'd really like it, Steven. There's lot of cool, new gadgets. And, oh! There will be bands." Her expression hopeful, Jackie nodded. "So, will you… will you come?"

"Jackie... Look, I think we need to talk." After a brief pause and a few glances around the car, mostly just to buy time, Hyde fixed a serious gaze on her. "We've gotta stop hanging out."

"What?"

"We shouldn't be hanging around each other."

"Wait, _you_ came to _me_ today."

"I know. And I'm thinking maybe it was a mistake."

"Oh. I see. Of course. Everything that has to do with me is a mistake for you, isn't it?"

"Jackie, come on…"

"No, Steven. You're right. Me leaving work and thinking that you would appreciate it was a _huge_ mistake."

"Jackie, cut the crap. You know what I'm saying."

"No, I don't. What are you saying, Steven?"

"Halloween! Tonight!" Hyde reminded her sharply, making her jump. He deflated, regretting it instantly. "I'm sorry. I just… Come on, Jackie. We screwed up and now we're making an even bigger mess of it. We shouldn't be hanging out together. Not after what happened. It's not…We keep… doin' stuff."

"Steven, if this is about those kisses then I'm sorry. You just… you looked so sad and when you're sad, your lips get all sad, too, and I... and then the second time, I don't know what happened."

"The second time was _me_ , Jackie. That's the problem." Hyde turned toward her and made the tension even more palpable with another potent dose of eye contact. "I like my girlfriend, okay… A lot… We need to stop." His pleading eyes watched hers for the reaction that he knew would come, but when her bottom lip expanded in a slight pout and her eyes fell, he understood her point about sad lips. He wanted to kiss hers, too.

"You're right," she said. "I wasn't thinking. I just want us to be friends so much. I thought you wanted the same. But I suppose you already got all you wanted from me." Clipping the door handle, Jackie fought to get out, ignoring his hand and his call for her to wait as she struggled with the door. Eventually escaping, the brunette jogged through the rain and fumbled with her car keys.

Conflicted, Hyde watched her from the driver's seat of his car, his mind playing a single thought on a loop: _She dropped everything for me_. In a fight against his own instincts, he dropped his head back and shut his eyes. "Damn it… Jackie, wait."

He jumped out of his car and caught her just as she was about to the shut the door to her silver Pontiac Sunbird. Shoving his body in the way, Hyde knelt down. "I'll go, okay. I'll go."

"I don't want you to go, now. I wouldn't want you to have to beat me off with a stick, seeing as how slutty and whorey I get when I'm around you. I'm such a tramp, Steven! I just can't control myself!"

"Jackie, cut it out."

"Well, isn't that what you're saying? You may like your girlfriend, Steven, but I _love_ Colin, and yeah, we messed up but it doesn't mean we're going to do it again. That kiss didn't mean anything, so just forget it even happened."

"Look, all I was saying was that… I mean, come on, Jackie, don't you find any of this strange? We don't talk. We never hang out. We ignored each other for over two years and hated each other for three and now, all of a sudden..."

"I didn't hate you."

"Yes. You did."

"Well, you were a jerk!"

"Yeah, that's my point, Jackie. Why would you want to hang out with me after all that?"

"You hated me, too."

"You're right. I did. And look, I don't hate you anymore. I don't feel anything. We don't even know each other anymore. Yet, when we get alone together, we can't stop making out. It's what happens to us. Don't forget how we started. And Halloween, I don't... I don't know what the hell happened."

"We were drunk and stupid," Jackie replied, bizarrely affected by his lack of feelings for her. She may not have loved him anymore, but she wouldn't have said she felt _nothing_ either. "It was a mistake."

"And if we get drunk and stupid again?"

"Well, then you're just going to have to control your urges, Steven Hyde, because it's not going to happen again."

Slightly amused, Hyde let out a small, yet irritated, chuckle. "See, _this_ is us. We don't get along, Jackie, and we _never_ will. Not really." Hyde stood up. "Maybe we should just leave it at that, OK? I don't want to fight with you anymore. I'll just… I'll see ya around, Jackie."

"Fine."

Hyde wanted to move, but something kept him stationary, something akin to guilt, mixed with a faint desire to make things up to her. After everything they'd done, every promise he'd denied her and every tear he knew she had shed, Jackie was still right there when he needed her.

Hyde sighed. "Damn it. What's your address?"

"What?"

"Where do you live? I have to pick up the police report and bring it to the insurance company here anyway. I can pick you up at around ten. Is that alright?" God, she was making this difficult. She always did, especially when she looked at him like that and gave him that incredible smile.

"It's perfect."

Hyde knelt back down. "But I have three rules."

"Okay."

His index finger pointed up. "One – No drinking. Two – No weed…"

"But those things are all you, Steven."

"Yeah, I'm realizing that. But the last one is you. Three – no skirts, no low-cut tops and leave the boots at home so… basically, no skin. You're only allowed to wear a standard bulky sweatshirt with loose jeans. Got it?"

"But Steven…"

"Jackie."

"Okay." As she attempted to force back a triumphant grin, Jackie scribbled directions to her apartment onto an old receipt she found in her purse. "There. If you see the Circle K, you've gone too far."

"Ten o'clock. You better be ready." Hyde started to walk away. "And hey, be careful. It's gettin' icy. You want me to follow you?"

"No, I'm good." Jackie watched him get into his car, and they both went their separate ways, until tomorrow...

* * *

 **Minneapolis, MN**

 **The Four Seasons Hotel**

 **One Hour Later**

"What's the matter with _you_?"

A hopeless look on her face, Jessica hung up the phone. "Nothing." There was no way she was talking to her sister, Sera, about Hyde. Sera hated Hyde, and Hyde hated Sera. It was a relationship that worked well for _them,_ but killed _her_. She sat thinking for a moment and as usual, couldn't help herself; she never could when it came to him. "I hung up on Steven this morning," Jessica blurted out. "And now I can't get a hold of him." Her older sister laughed, infuriating the small blonde. "Why are you laughing? It's not funny."

Sera nodded, never losing her amused grin. "Yes, it is." But Jessica wasn't laughing or smiling. "Oh, come on. He's probably just out getting drunk like last night. The fucking lush."

Jessica stood up and walked toward her only sibling. "He called last night?"

"Yep."

"Why didn't you tell me? What did he say?"

Sitting on the bed, Sera nonchalantly picked through Jessica's make-up case, checking every piece for one she liked, one she would probably steal later. "I don't know. I could barely understand him; he was drunk. But I told him the truth. That you were downstairs in the bar, surrounded by cute guys, and having a good time _without_ him."

"What!" Jessica shouted, ripping her Sea Shell Pink Lipstick out of her whore of a sister's grubby claw. "Bitch!" Sera stood up, and Jessica shoved her. "Why would you say that?!"

"The jerk probably won't even remember. He was out of it, Jess."

Panicking, Jessica began to pace. "Oh, my God. That's probably why he called this morning. And I hung up on him. He probably took you seriously." She glared at her sister, who simply shrugged. "Get out of my room and _stop_ answering my phone!"

"Oh, let him worry a little. See that's the problem, Jess. That's why he dicks you around the way he does. Because he knows you care about him, and he's not worried about it. He didn't even care when I said that."

"He didn't?" Jessica stopped and watched as her sister shook her head. "Not at all?"

"Nope. See… You need to _make_ him worry."

Sitting down, the younger blonde considered what her sister was telling her. "No. You know what? I don't _want_ to make him worry. You know what I _want_? I _want_ to go home," she said, covering her face in her hands. "And get the hell away from you."

"Me?" Sera said. "Well, I'm tired of watching my baby sister sit by a phone instead of out having fun. And I'm sick of watching you, _a college graduate_ , work as a _waitress_ just so you can stay in some Podunk town with some Podunk guy who won't even admit he loves you after over a year. I'm sorry, but it pisses me off. He doesn't deserve you. And I swear to God, if you don't move to Chicago, just because _Hyde_ won't move, I will _never_ speak to you again." Grabbing her purse, and the Sea Shell Pink lipstick, Sera stormed out.

"Good! Another reason for me to stay in Point Place!" Jessica shouted after her. Mentally exhausted, she curled up on her bed. She was ready to go home, crawl under the covers with Hyde and promise to never leave his side again. And just when she thought she would be miserable forever, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

 _"Hey."_

"Oh, Steven. Thank God. I'm so sorry about this morning. I've been calling you all day…"

 _"I know. I got your messages."_

God, his voice sounded so good. She wanted nothing more than to climb though the phone into his lap and kiss him senseless. "Oh, I miss you. I just want to go home. I want you to hold me, and kiss me and," she nearly said, 'and tell me you love me,' but all that would do was piss him off and frustrate her when he refused. And acting like it didn't bother her was becoming more and more difficult. So as usual, she stifled her needs to accommodate his. "I miss you," Jessica said instead and sat for a moment, waiting… "Steven?"

 _"Yeah?"_

"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you miss me?"

 _"I didn't say that."_

Her eyes narrowed until they were shut tightly in aggravation, her lips pursed. "Yeah. Exactly. You didn't say _anything_." Feeling suddenly pissed, thinking about what her sister had said, the blonde nearly blew up at his silence but then she had a thought. "Wait. Is this about what my sister said last night? Because yes, I went to a bar last night, but there weren't guys all over me and I wasn't having a good time."

 _"Jess, it's fine. I don't care about that. I want you to have a good time."_

Suddenly, the aggravation returned. "You don't care about that?"

 _"No. I trust you."_

"You _trust_ me?"

 _"That's what I said."_ He sounded flippant as usual. _"I know you wouldn't cheat."_

"And why wouldn't I?"

 _"What?"_

"Well, what makes you so sure I wouldn't cheat?"

 _"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

Jessica sighed. "Nothing. Just forget I said anything."

 _"No. What the hell's that supposed to mean, Jess? You want to screw around? Go ahead, baby. Have a blast. I'll catch you later."_

 _"Steven!"_

"What?" Hyde had almost slammed down the phone. The thought of her cheating made him want to punch the wall in, but the fact that he was a hypocrite didn't make its way past him either.

 _"Why are you mad at me?"_

"I'm _not,"_ Hyde said in frustration. He hated when she got like this, all insecure and clingy, but he didn't want to yell at her either. For two reasons: he really did like her and yelling would only make her cry, meaning he would never get any sleep tonight. "Look. I don't want to have this conversation right now, okay? I miss you but… I'm going to hang up now."

 _"I would never cheat on you. Please don't hang up thinking that. It's just… I don't know. You're acting as though you don't even care that I'm gone."_

"Maybe it has nothing to do with you, Jess. Maybe if you had asked me about _my_ day instead of only talking about yourself, you would understand." Hyde huffed. "Look, I don't think you're going to cheat, I do care about you, and I'm not mad, alright? I'm just…" Taking in a deep breath, Hyde tried to reel in his burgeoning irritation. "I'm tired and wet, and I had a crappy day today, so I don't feel like dealing with this tonight, Jess. I just don't."

 _"What happened?"_

"I don't… I'll tell you about it tomorrow. Right now, I just want to get some sleep. I have to get up really early. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

There was silence on the other end so he patiently waited until she spoke. _"Are we okay?"_

"We're fine," Hyde said through his teeth, making them sound anything but fine. And then instead of silence or her usual upbeat response, he heard her start to cry. Real tears that told him she was more upset than he thought. She sounded lonely and hurt, and at twenty-five years old, it wasn't a pain he was willing to inflict anymore. Jessica would have never survived his younger counterpart. Never. She would have crumbled under the crap those other girls had endured, especially Jackie. He was sure of it. "Jess, come on. Don't cry. I'm sorry, okay. It's not you." It was a lie. He was pissed at her. Pissed at her for hanging up on him and pissed at her for leaving. If she had been home, there would be no confused Jackie crap going on in his head. He would be making out with the little blonde right now, not even thinking about his ex in various sexual positions, whispering comforting words in his ear or snuggling him to sleep. But that wasn't the case right now, and Hyde wanted to scream into the phone for her to get her ass home or else there was a very real chance that he was going to fuck her dark-haired nemesis again. "When are you coming back?"

Her crying had slowed considerably _. "On the 17_ _th_ _."_

"Why can't you just come home on the weekends?"

 _"I don't have the money for that."_

"I'll pay for it."

 _"You will? Oh, honey..."_ Jessica's voice perked up, and Hyde smiled. This was nicer to hear. _"I love you. Just let me check with my dad, and we'll figure something out."_

Hyde grinned proudly now. There. Problem solved. He just needed a few doses of his girlfriend, and everything would be back to normal. No more Jackie. "Cool. Well, I'm going to head to bed. I'll call you tomorrow." He would tell her about Leo tomorrow, when his head was in it, when it wasn't pounding and begging for sleep.

 _"Okay."_ Her voice was much more chipper now, and his guilt was fading slightly. _"I love you, baby. Goodnight."_

"Night." Hanging up, Hyde shook his head and wondered what it was about her that made him want to love her so badly, and what it was that was holding him back from actually doing it.

* * *

 **Milwaukee, WI**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

After setting down her trusty hairdryer, Jackie posed and smiled softly at her reflection. Her hair was perfect tonight.

Absolutely perfect.

Then arrived a brief moment of doubt. She hated those moments. She couldn't help but wonder as she studied her dark, shiny hair, why she was the only one. His exclusiveness to blondes made her self-conscious sometimes, although she would never admit it to another soul. Her whole life people told her she was beautiful—her friends, her teachers, and, most especially, boys—so much so that she felt it with every move she made, every breath she took. When she was a child, women would gush to her mother over her daughter's gorgeous raven hair, stunning features, and eyes that a jeweler would set in platinum if it were at all possible. But Steven Hyde, a boy raised in dirt, didn't always see it.

Closing her eyes, Jackie saw his face; it was a random memory of him as he sat on the piano bench in the Forman living room. It was a party maybe, she couldn't remember, and he had yet another blonde on his lap. But out of nowhere, from across the room, he had looked over at her, stilling her heart temporarily as he held a brief disinterested stare then turned his attention back to his date. With a sick fascination, Jackie watched him smile at the girl and raise his hand to gently take a piece of her flaxen hair between his fingers, sliding them down over the light-colored tress as he kissed her. It marked the first time in Jackie's life that she felt unattractive, ugly even.

And the last.

Opening her eyes, Jackie stared again at her reflection and instead looked at herself through Colin's eyes, smiling at what she saw.

Steven Hyde had been wrong that day.

She _was_ beautiful. Better than any stinking blond.

With no more doubts, Jackie worked to untie her robe and made her way into her bedroom, the plushest of all the rooms in her house. It was her sanctuary and the place that she and Colin had spent many lazy afternoons in bed.

As Jackie whipped back her covers, guilt began to set in as irony reared its ugly head. The only boy to never cheat on her—besides Fez—she was screwing over, just as she had done to poor Fez. It made her wonder: maybe she _was_ drawn to men who treated her like crap, to men who broke her heart and made her feel unwanted. To them, she gave unconditional love and loyalty. To the rest, she gave heartbreak and lies.

What was wrong with her, she wondered as she slipped beneath her Egyptian cotton sheets and reached up to flip off her lamp. Lying there in the dark, she realized that her insecurities were not all Hyde's fault, and her loyalties to him went far beyond love and stupidity. They were buried deep beneath history and experience, and not even Colin, as perfect as he was, could unearth and liberate her from their power…

 _June 18, 1982_

 _Jackie's hands remained planted over her ears, causing a tunnel effect that kept her feeling safe and protected, separated from this nightmare. Her eyes were still shut tightly, retaining their snapshot of Hyde's face, her body now huddled in the corner, under the stairs that Hyde had charged with her safety. He had been right. She was safe here, in her own little cocoon, safe from fear, safe from men who saw her tenderness as weakness and weakness as opportunity, safe from her own stupid mistakes. It was peaceful in this place. Quiet. But the seconds ticked past excruciatingly slow and although her Steven Hyde was probably the strongest man she'd ever known, she still worried for him._

 _Peering up cautiously, Jackie wondered what was happening in her apartment. What was he doing? Was he safe, too? Was he hurt? Then her mind shifted gears… How pissed off was he? In an instant, she sorted through all of all the times she saw him angry and could only recall seeing that precise look in his eyes once before._

 _"Oh, my God."_

 _As panic began to set it in, safety felt more like loneliness, and Jackie dropped her hands._

 _"Hyde," she called upwards quietly. Remaining still, she glanced around with wide eyes and listened. There was no noise. No sound. Only darkness and an eerie silence that made the seconds seem like a lifetime._

" _Steven?"_

 _Silence._

" _Oh, please be okay," she whispered to herself. "Please be okay, please be…"_

 _BOOM!_

 _Startled practically out of her skin, Jackie looked over at the source of the fierce crash. In the spaces between the stairs, she caught a glimpse of her boyfriend of almost four months, bloodied and writhing on the ground, until the sounds of thundering footsteps drew her head upwards._

" _You fucking bitch!"_

 _Looking over again, Jackie caught Chris' angry eyes._

 _"You called HIM?"_

 _As she shook her head, out of disgust that she ever let this jerk into her life, her home, her body, Jackie watched Chris get up and move toward her._

" _Steven!" she screamed out, backing toward the opposite wall._

 _Hyde wasn't even touching every step on his way down and, once he hit the bottom, he wrenched Chris back by his neck, tossing him toward the door and away from Jackie. She was stunned at how unharmed he looked. There was only anger. And unexpectedly, Jackie realized that it was Chris' life she needed to pray for, especially when she watched Hyde use Chris's head to get the glass front door open._

 _"Oh, my God! Steven! Stop!"_

 _Running behind them, Jackie pushed through the now cracked door and outside into the parking lot where Hyde was beating the life out of her boyfriend. "Steven! Calm down!" She flinched at every crunch of every hit and tried like hell to get her ex's attention, but he was too far gone. There was so much blood. "Hyde! It's enough!"_

" _Jackie, get the hell back inside!"_

" _No!"_

 _Through all the chaos, Jackie heard Chris say something in between punches, although she couldn't make it out. But apparently Hyde could, because his rage seemed to grow to a ruthless level as he kicked Chris over onto a prone position, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and placed his open mouth down over the edge of the curb._

 _"Steven, what are you doing?"_

 _Hyde stood up and stepped back._

 _"Steven, don't," Jackie began to cry. "NO! PLEASE!"_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – The Proof is in the Puddin' Pop**

* * *

 **November 6, 1984**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 _'Our lips are sealed' by the Go-Gos is playing loudly on a small transistor radio_.

" _Can you hear them? They talk about us. Telling lies. Well, that's no surprise…"_ Jackie continued to sing and dance in front of the mirror while one hand glossed her lips and the other held a lock of hair inside the iron that was retrieved from her linen closet in only the direst of circumstances: the neon pink crimping iron.

There was no point in lying to herself, she figured as she bounced from side to side and glanced at her 4x6 photo of Colin at one of Kelso's parties—she wanted to look cute for Hyde. No, she wanted to look hot. The desire didn't even make her feel guilty inside like it probably should have. There was nothing wrong with wanting to make your ex-boyfriend aware of what he had given up. Right?

Glancing over at Colin again, Jackie smiled and kissed the perfumed air in front of her puckered lips. "It doesn't mean I don't love you, baby," she told him, positive that she could hear his precious voice return the sentiment, making her miss him terribly. Yes, he always traveled, but he was cute and sweet, she decided as he stared up at her from his perch next to her make-up case. Jackie picked up the framed picture. "Come home, and I'll stop gussying myself up Steven." It was his own fault.

And as if her order had traveled the entire distance to the Big Apple, the phone rang. Jackie ran into her bedroom, scrambling over her bed to pick it up. "Colin?!"

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

Running out of the bathroom, Hyde leaped over his couch and grabbed the phone. He had already spoken to the hospital once this morning to find out that Leo had made it through the night. "Hello?"

" _Hey, baby."_

With a relieved sigh, Hyde dropped his head back. "Hey, what's up? You feelin' better today?"

" _Yes,"_ Jessica said. _"Sorry about that. Yesterday was just a terrible day, you know?"_ Hyde nodded. He knew. But she still had no idea, not about Leo anyway, and he felt a little guilty about it. _"Steven?"_

"Huh… Oh, yeah. I'm going to be in Chicago today, so I was thinking maybe I'd stop by O'Hare and buy your ticket. What day do you want to come?"

Jessica sighed _. "That's actually why I called. I can't come."_

Hyde's face tightened with a scowl. "Why not? Did your dad say no?"

" _Actually… I didn't ask him. I don't want to."_

"What?" Confused as all hell, he had to squeeze his eyes shut and pinched at the bridge of his nose, trying to rub the irritation away. Maybe she had a good explanation. "But you… You were the one crying last night that you wanted to come home."

" _I know, I'm sorry. Look, Steven, I love you, but you haven't said anything about moving with me and I'm… I know you're going to say no and maybe I need to learn to be without you sometimes… Steven?"_

"I didn't say no, yet. And you sound like your freakin' sister."

" _Steven. Come on. If you care about me, you'll understand."_

"Oh, I care. I think it's _you_ who doesn't give a crap _,"_ Hyde scoffed as he paced in front of his couch. "Because if you did, you'd want to see me."

" _I do want to see you. I love you. But don't forget, Steven. It's you who can't say it back."_

Hyde stopped in his tracks, unable to believe what he was hearing, his anger beginning to flare up in the face of one more fucking thing to deal with. "So, we're back to that? Is that what this whole thing is about? You think if you play games with me, I'm going to say what you want?"

" _I really hate when you're like this."_

"Like what?"

" _Like an asshole."_

Hyde shook his head and almost laughed into the phone. "Man, Jess, you have no clue about me being an asshole. You have no idea how good you have it. Just ask any one of my ex's. None of 'em got me to say that crap, but not a damn one complained about it as much as you do."

He was pissed but immediately felt guilty for lumping her in with all those stupid chicks before her. None of them meant crap to him. Well, most didn't. But this girl did. Yeah, she was sensitive but he liked that about her. She was normal and clean and kept him grounded. "Jess, I'm…"

" _You told Jackie."_

With those three words, she had somehow stunned him into silence. He hadn't been expecting to hear that name right now, and certainly not from Jessica's mouth. But she was right. He had said it to Jackie... twice. Right then, though, his girlfriend answered his silent admission of guilt.

" _So, don't tell me you haven't told anyone."_ Her tone of voice was clear and resolute, and he hated when she was like this—strong and determined to keep her love for him at arm's length. It was her sister's influence. _"And you can be the biggest asshole in the world to me, Steven; it's not going to work. I'm still not coming. And if you love me at all… even a little… you'll understand. I need some time to think about where this relationship is going."_

Hyde shook his head while his frustration turned on the cold voice that he knew would upset her. "You know what, Jess, that's cool. Take all the time you need. I should go, though; I have plans in the city with _Jackie_ today, and I wouldn't want to be late picking her up."

" _What_?"

Hyde hung up the phone, her single, shocked word still ringing in his head. Why did he always do that? Why did his mind always search for the coldest words to say, the ones that he knew would sting the greatest? It rarely made him feel better. But he didn't have time to feel guilty about Jessica right now. He had enough crap to deal with. So, he stood up and grabbed his coat. There was a police report and an ex-girlfriend to pick up. As he was walking out the door, the phone rang, but he ignored it and walked out the door, trying his best to push away his feelings toward Jessica, just for a little while, or at least until she was ready to come to her senses. Or he was ready to come to his.

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **One Hour Later**

"You are _not_ quitting, Colin!"

" _You can't tell me whether or not I can quit my job, Jackie."_

"Oh, yes I can. I'm your girlfriend, and if I say no, then it's a solid no."

She heard him scoff and cringed. He was getting pissed. _"The only reason I haven't quit yet is you. You're the one that wants all the nice, fancy things in life. I don't care if we live in a regular house with regular things. I kept this fucked-up job for you, and now all I get is shit for never being there. So, to hell with it. I'm doing what_ _I_ _want from now on."_

"What?!"

" _You heard me."_

"Colin!" Quickly, the bossy brunette stopped herself. This was never the way to get him to listen. He was stubborn as a mule, but gentle persuasion tended to soften men up like butter—words of advice from Brooke. "Alright, look. Why don't we talk about it when this trip is done, and if you still want to quit, then… you'll quit." He was quiet for a moment and she waited. "Colin?"

" _Alright. I need to go, though. I have a meeting."_

"I love you."

" _Yeah…"_

Jackie's eyes widened the moment she heard an abrupt click. Her jaw dropped.

"Hello? Colin?" Looking around her empty bedroom, it took Jackie a moment to realize what had just happened. "He hung up on me?" After regaining dial tone, ready to call the bastard back, the angry brunette heard her doorbell sound off and glanced at the time—ten o'clock, on the dot. "Damn!"

* * *

Outside Jackie's Front Door

Two Minutes Later

After giving the doorbell one last buzz, an already irritated Hyde turned to walk away. "Man, screw this." He hadn't taken two steps when Jackie finally opened her door, out of breath but smiling.

"Steven! Hey!"

He turned and upon seeing her, let out a frustrated breath. "Jackie, what the hell?"

Her face fell, only to be replaced with innocent eyes. "What the hell, what?"

"What the hell are you wearing?" He looked down at her feet. "What happened to rule number three?"

Jackie looked down and pointed at her legs. "I obeyed rule number three! You said no skin and there is _no_ skin here, Steven!"

He shook his head. He knew she wasn't going to listen. "I said no boots, too, Jackie."

"You said no boots because of my legs, Steven. You know, the legs you can't stop _staring_ at?" His eyes narrowed, and she smirked knowingly before continuing. "I figure I can wear these boots since I'm wearing pants. Hello! Plus, these aren't even the same boots. These ones are _black_."

"Those aren't pants. Those are tights," he argued, pointing now at the black material on her legs.

"They're _stretch_ pants."

"Do they _stretch_?" he asked sarcastically, amused at her liberal definition of what were clearly skintight tights.

With a glare to match his, Jackie pinched some of the taut material between her fingers and pulled. _Snap!_ "Yep," she shouted with a triumphant grin. "They stretch!"

"Oh, well, good cause for a second there I thought you might have painted those on… And what the hell is this," he asked, fingering the tiny strip of black material slung over her shoulder, and then the baggy grey fleece that she wore over it, that hung far off her shoulder. "Did you cut the neck out?"

With a sad glower, she adjusted her Flashdance-inspired sweatshirt. "It's a baggy sweatshirt, like you said," she pouted. "I did everything you asked, Steven."

Her big, sad doe eyes were looking up at him now, and Hyde could only sigh the rest of his frustrations out. She looked sexy, and he didn't want her to.

"Fine," he finally said, softening his tone. "Grab your coat. Let's go."

* * *

Outside in the Parking Lot

"Oh, my God, Steven! It's beautiful out here!"

Looking up at the crisp blue sky as they walked, all Hyde could do was nod. It was nice to see the sun, he had to admit. He wasn't missing the rain today.

"It's freezing, though," she added behind visible breath as she cuddled her thick coat.

"Well, come on." Hyde directed her toward a newer looking white van that had the word 'Grooves' printed on the side and unlocked the passenger-side door for her. "Get in. I'll turn the heat on." Her brow scrunched in confusion when she stopped in front of him.

"Where's your car? And when did you get this?"

"Uh, at home, and I already told you. Last year. Kelso dared me to hit W.B. up for a van. Remember?"

Jackie nodded, remembering bits of their conversation from the night before. "I figured we'd take this. My car sits too low. The engine's been stalling with all the flooding." She continued to stare at him, glancing once at the car door.

He stared back. "What?"

"Aren't you going to open the door for me?"

"This isn't a date, Jackie."

"Well, after what happened last week, a gentleman would open the door."

Hyde smirked, amused at the mention. "Jackie. If I was a gentleman, last week wouldn't have happened," he replied, sharply opening her door and walking away. "Now, get in."

* * *

 **Two Hours Later**

 **Chicago, Illinois. I-41 South. Lake Shore Drive**

 _"Let's go to bed" by the Cure plays from the van's cassette player._

 _Let me take your hands  
I'm shaking like milk… _

"Steven, look," Jackie called out, pointing to Hyde's left and making him briefly take in the sight of one of Lake Michigan's harbors. Docked in it were several large cruise liners. "You think one of those is the one from Halloween?"

Hyde shrugged. "Maybe. That exit back there was for Montrose Harbor. That's where it was."

"Hmm," was her only response as they refrained from further discussion, both able to recall most of their drunken journey together through the dark ship. But Jackie had to smile despite the awkwardness they were both feeling. A part of her didn't regret a thing. In fact, as the sun's glare blinded her eyes and warmed her cheeks, she could recall a few fond moments in his strong arms—cramped together inside the small spider hole, their tryst behind the surgical torture cage, straddling him while he carried her down that dark, narrow corridor, kissing him at their table, sneaking yet another kiss down the dark exit tunnel. It all seemed worth the mental anguish that followed.

All of those thoughts made Jackie turn away and smile softly at her own reflection. It all seemed so harmless now. All they had done was flirt a little in the midst of severe drunkenness, kissing twice when they had taken their flirtation and attraction to each other a bit too far.

"Check it out," Hyde uttered, interrupting her pleasant thoughts.

Jackie followed his eye line directly to her one o'clock, where she found the architecturally brilliant facade of the Chicago Hilton. "Oh… yeah," she quietly commented as they both watched the hotel pass them by.

Maybe not _that_ harmless.

With a sudden look of irritation, aimed directly at her ex, Jackie reached out and raised the volume of the music, hoping to suppress any more reminders.

"Hey, Jackie," Hyde yelled over the music, squinting as the noontime sun leveled overhead and illuminated the wet road before them. "Go in the glove compartment and get my sunglasses for me."

Opening it, Jackie reached inside and pulled out something she hadn't seen in what felt like a million years: his sunglasses. Holy crap. They were in perfect condition, too, with not a scratch on them. She couldn't believe it. And while she continued to stare at the tinted lenses that had frustrated the hell out of her for years, Hyde's hand stole them away. "Thanks."

Looking over, Jackie was stunned backwards by about an inch when he slipped them on and glanced at her.

Hyde, though, was only confused by her strange expression. He looked at the road and then back at her again. "What?"

"Nothing."

He looked the same. He was 19 and her _sexy_ Puddin' Pop, once again. How she'd missed him. Taking a deep breath and turning her head, Jackie tried to expel his image from her brain by watching building after building roll by. This wasn't good. Not good at all.

 _Doo doo doo doo  
Let's go to bed…_

* * *

 **Thirty-five Minutes Later**

 **Cooke County Fairgrounds**

 **Chicago, Illinois**

Hyde began to swear every curse in the book after about the twentieth time around the enormous parking lot. "What the hell is this shit? I've never seen this fucking place this damn crowded before. Let's just go back."

"No, Steven. We can't. And swearing like a truck driver, or Donna, isn't going to get us a spot any quicker…Oh, my God!" Jackie pointed. "Right there! There's a space!" Hyde sped up and was about to turn into the parking space when, out of nowhere, a small sports car cut them off and beat them to it.

"Freakin' tool!" Hyde put the van into park. "I'll be right back. Stay in the car."

"Steven," Jackie warned. "I have work to do here. I don't have time for you to beat up every rich science geek that annoys you. We'll be here all day."

"Come on. Just let me have _one_."

"Fine, but make it quick. And if you get your sweatshirt dirty with nerd blood, we are not going home so you can change."

With a grin, Hyde got out and shut the door.

"You reflect on me!" Jackie yelled out the window. "Remember that!"

Knock, knock, knock. The moment the skinny twerp behind the wheel saw Hyde gesture for him to get the out of his car, he threw his car in reverse and left. So, with an expression of disappointment, Hyde got back inside the van and pulled in. "Well, that was lame."

"Oh, Steven, I'm sorry," Jackie soothed, rubbing his arm. "I promise. There'll be thousands of nerds in there for you to play with."

Hyde shrugged and nodded. "I guess."

They both gathered their things and got out, meeting at the back of the van.

"Okay, Steven. Here," Jackie said, handing him a Polaroid camera. "You carry that and my bag…"

"What? No. No. You're not my girlfriend. I don't have to carry your crap anymore."

"Steven, do you even carry Jessica's things?"

"No," he sneered.

"Well, then shut it. This isn't a girlfriend/boyfriend thing, anyway. This is an employer/employee thing."

"Excuse me?"

Jackie nodded as he took the camera. "Yeah, you're my employee for the day…except you're not getting paid."

Sincerely amused by her audacity, Hyde laughed harder than he'd laughed in a while and handed the camera back to her.

"Right. I'll catch ya at the Forman's on Thanksgiving, Jackie," he said as he walked back toward the driver's side of the van and pulled out his keys. "Be sure to bring Lucky Charms with you so I can kick his ass at basketball again."

"Steven, get back here," she demanded, following him. "And stop calling him that. If he finds out, he _is_ going to kick your ass."

"Yeah," Hyde chuckled. "Let him try."

"Oh…God, Hyde!" she grumbled, stomping her foot and ripping the keys from his hands. "I wish the two of you would stop competing with each other. It's pathetic. Now, please. I need you, today."

"For what? Why the hell did you even bring me here?"

"Lots of reasons. One. I need you to help me carry my things. I can't carry all this by myself and two, I need you to be my body guard."

"Bodyguard? You're scared of a bunch of science dweebs? I know you, Jackie; you're not scared of anything."

Scanning the lot quickly, Jackie stepped closer to him and lowered her voice. "Look. Last year, Colin had to kick someone's ass for me. And a couple of months ago, at the gun show, Kevin went all windmill on these two guys that kept hassling me…You have to understand. I represent every beautiful girl that wouldn't give these dorks the time of day in high school."

Hyde just stared at her pleading eyes and felt a slight twinge in his heart the moment she stepped even closer and nipped at his sweatshirt. "Please. I really need you."

Looking at her, he realized that she was fucking impossible to deny. "Fine. Give me the camera." She gave him the camera and bag with a smile. "Let's go." He'd be damned if Colin and the gay guy were going to have the lead on ass kickings. That was _his_ thing. He was going to have to beat some science geek ass today for sure now.

Jackie slung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed Hyde's hand. "Because you're so sweet, I'll buy you a funnel cake. With extra powdered sugar."

It took him a stubborn moment, but Hyde finally responded. "And a baked potato?"

Jackie smiled. _"And_ a baked potato."

"With all the stuff?"

"With _all_ the stuff."

Hyde grinned and nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Snuggling a little closer to him as they walked, Jackie laughed and silently wished he would take his sunglasses off. Too many memories were surfacing with them on. Way too many. But for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to leave his side. A little while longer wouldn't hurt anyone.

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

1:22 PM

The Illinois State Science and Technology Exhibition

No longer hand in hand, Hyde and Jackie walked down the main street inside the fairgrounds, scouting everything around them from hot dog stands to makeshift massage chair and remote-control car exhibits that sat underneath large tarps.

"So, what is it you have to do here?"

As Hyde grabbed her hand, Jackie looked over and practically fell over at how good he looked. "Huh?" He was smirking subtly, giving her his undivided attention, and she just knew that she was going to have to get those damn sunglasses off of him soon. "Oh. Wait…What?"

"I said what is it you have to here for your job?"

"Oh. Um, I have to choose a site for the five o'clock broadcast. And then I have to meet the anchor at the entrance at four thirty."

Hyde nodded. "Well, that doesn't sound that hard."

"It's not." God, she wanted to hug him. Look away, stupid!

At that, Hyde began to walk faster, pulling her along with him and away from the crowd. "Well then this shouldn't be a problem," he said, dragging her deeper and deeper between two tents.

"Steven, what are you doing?"

"Making this place more tolerable," he answered as he finally got her to a quiet, narrow, tucked away place behind one of the exhibits. "Come here." And pulled her close.

* * *

Eleven Minutes Later

With an enormous smile on her face, Jackie emerged from between the two tents, her red, puffy eyes hidden behind Hyde's sunglasses. Following close behind, was Hyde, himself, grinning as well as he stopped next to her and looked around. "Much better," he declared and smirked at his ex.

She nodded and smiled back. "Much." Then her face fell into a frown. "Hey, I thought rule number something was 'No hittin' it."

"Uh… Oh yeah," Hyde smiled dumbly and coughed. "That was a stupid rule."

"All your rules were stupid."

"They weren't all stupid, Jackie. I was trying to keep us from…" Hyde stopped and perked up. "Hey, do you hear that?"

"What? The Zeppelin?"

Looking at her, he was shocked. He couldn't believe that she was hearing it, too. "Yeah. You can hear it?"

Jackie nodded and, to his high mind, she was suddenly the coolest, hottest chick on earth because she heard Zeppelin in her head, too.

"Come on. Let's go see where it's coming from," he insisted as he took her fingers and led her toward the music. Damn, this was some powerful stuff. The sound seemed like it was coming from everywhere. "I can't find it."

Jackie pointed upwards. "I think it's coming from those speakers."

"Yeah, but it sounds live. And it's not really Zeppelin." A few more glances around at the concession stands and small tents and Hyde thought he could pinpoint the noise to one of the large exhibit buildings ahead. "We gotta go check those out," he told her the very moment the sky darkened and opened up overhead. "Oh, crap. Is it raining?"

"Yes," Jackie shouted, covering her head with her small arms as the drops grew thicker and more frequent. "Oh my God! My camera! My hair!"

"Who cares, come on! We gotta find that Zeppelin band!"

"Oh, screw Zeppelin! It took me an hour to crimp this!" The rain began to fall harder and everyone outside scrambled for the nearest shelter. Hyde, on the other hand, grabbed his ex-girlfriend's hand and ran for the closest building, about 50 yards away. "You've gotta run faster, Jackie!"

"I'm trying! You try running in these boots!" she shouted to him over the startling thunderclaps that made her jump. And when they reached the building and were stopped by a large crowd that was trying to get in, too, Jackie shrieked and continued to try and cover her hair with her coat. "Steven! Get me inside!"

Hyde hooked his arm around her waist and yanked her forward. "Will you relax? It's just water." Shoving his way through the crowd, he got them both inside quickly and let go of her. "Oh, man, this is actually pretty cool," he said, looking around.

Jackie wasn't impressed by her surroundings, though, as she fixed her coat and checked her bag. "Is my camera okay?"

"I don't know. Let's see," he said and quickly snapped a picture of her, looking like a drowned cat. "Yep." A very _hot_ drowned cat. It annoyed him slightly, thinking those thoughts about her. They were self-destructive. But what could he do? She was hot. But she was even hotter wet. And cute as hell with his sunglasses on.

"Steven, give me my camera," Jackie ordered, grabbing it from him before reaching back out. "And give me that picture you just took."

"You mean this one?" Hyde asked, waving it back and forth as it processed. "Yeah, I can't do that." He glanced at it, dying to torture her. "Man, you look like hell. I can't wait to show this to everyone."

"Steven! Give it to me!" A very irritated Jackie stepped forward and reached out but Hyde only reached back and held the picture at bay, creating the scenario he had been scheming for. "Come on, Steven! You're being a jerk!"

He shook his head. "Why don't you try saying, 'Thank you Hyde for getting me out of the rain?"

Jackie huffed. "Thank you, Hyde, for getting me out of the rain."

"Better." Hyde handed the Polaroid over and shifted his interest to the incredible chaos around him. Motorized helicopters flew above his head. Engines roared. Robotic vehicles rolled past. "Man, this place is awesome."

"Yeah, and there's seven more buildings like this one so we gotta get moving. This one, I think," Jackie looked over a piece of paper from her purse, "is the 'Automotive Technology' exhibits hall."

"Awesome," Hyde muttered in complete wonderment as he eyed a shiny blue Ferrari with wings. So, completely forgetting that there even existed a broad named Jackie Burkhart, he moved to walk toward the pretty car.

"Steven! No!" Jackie shouted, grabbing his arm. "That's exactly how I lost Colin for two hours." She knew that keeping him focused on her was her only hope or she would lose him to the shiny sports cars forever. Desperate, she cupped his cheeks and tried to snag his darting eyes and tame them with her own. "Stay with me, Steven. Look at me."

Out of the corner of his eye, Hyde caught another futuristic car made out of rubber and one with a pancake griddle on the dash. "Yeah, but Jackie…Oh, holy crap. Free beer!"

"Steven, focus!" With great difficulty, the brunette managed to turn his head and make him look at her. "Rule number one, 'No beer.' Remember?"

"But Jackie…"

"No, Steven. I can't have you drunk and running wild. We'll look at the cars, but I need you to stick by me. Okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Hyde rolled his eyes and stared into green and blue. "Fine."

Jackie smiled. "Thank you. Now, I just need to find the best exhibits for a few on air sequences, mark them, find some nerd to interview, and take a picture for camera positioning and that's it…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

True to his word, Hyde stayed within fifteen feet of Jackie at all times, and finally began to understand his main role there. The place was filled with dirty old men and science geeks with too much money, who all seemed to think that his pretty ex-girlfriend was there to be ogled and hooted at while she was trying to do her job. And it was seriously beginning to piss him off.

As they walked several feet apart, Hyde gave Jackie a quick glance, just to be sure that no one was invading her personal space and turned to find something that he never thought he would…the diamond in the ruff…his holy grail…his Hoffa…and his jaw fell. "Oh, man." A chill even coursed up his spine, giving him a better high than even the hottest sex could at this moment. "Oh, man!"

Before him stood a man, a lone older gentleman, and next to him was a car, and next to that was a sign that read: 'The Car that Runs on Water.' Hyde's head began to spin and his eyes widened. There was no freakin' way. "Jackie!" He turned around and saw her reading some pamphlet about ten feet away. "Jackie!" he hoarsely whispered but she couldn't hear him. "Damn it."

Hyde stepped forward toward the middle-aged guy and his special car. "Hey, man," he said quietly and rather carefully. "What's up?"

The man's eyes darted left to right and then settled back on Hyde. "Not much, friend."

"So, it uh, it really runs on water?"

The old guy glanced around again as if he was concerned that the two were being watched and leaned forward.

"It sure does, man. It's steam driven."

Intrigued, Hyde stepped closer. "So, uh, how long have you had it?"

" _Years_ , man."

"I _knew_ it!" Hyde turned back around. "Jackie!"

"No, no, man!" the older gentleman hushed gruffly and grabbed Hyde to turn him back around. "Don't draw too much attention to it! That's why I got myself a spot in the corner. I've been trying to get this thing in car shows for years, but someone always stops me." The rotund guy smirked and shook his head. "Man, you'd be surprised at how many times I've been denied entrance. Somebody doesn't want this known."

In his own conspiratorial manner, Hyde nodded. "The government, the oil industry…for obvious reasons."

"Yeah," The older man briefly sized the younger one up. "So, what's your name, man?"

"Hyde."

"Wilbur," he said, reaching out for Hyde's hand.

"Nice to _finally_ meet you, Wilbur."

"Likewise." Wilbur looked beyond Hyde's head. "Hey, is that uh, pretty little news reporter with _you_?"

"Yeah." Turning around, Hyde didn't see her. "What the hell? Jackie?!"

"Well, I would stay by her side if I were you; that little firecracker has got a lot of fans around here." Wilbur pointed in a different direction than Hyde had been looking. "Over there."

"Thanks, man." Thinking quickly, Hyde snapped a photo of the car and its sign before taking off to beat somebody's ass. Coming up behind Jackie as she stepped into some random guy's face, Hyde grabbed her waist and quickly lifted her over by a few feet.

"And don't call me 'baby'!" he heard her scream as she kicked and flailed.

"What the hell is her problem?" The guy was answered with a fist to his mouth, sending him down on his ass.

"She doesn't like being hit on while she's trying to work," Hyde said, shaking his hand. Damn, that one had actually hurt. "So, stay the hell away from her!"

Still fired up, Jackie returned. "Yeah, and even if I wasn't working, I still wouldn't date you!" she shouted, kicking the guy's leg as he sat on the floor, still cowering from Hyde. "Jerk!"

"Ow!"

"Jackie, that's enough," Hyde told her with a small grin. "He's already on the ground."

"He grabbed my butt." She kicked the guy again.

"Ow!"

"Jackie…" Hyde let her kick him one more time. "Okay. That's it." Then he picked her up, yelling and flailing, and slung her over his shoulder as he walked her away from the scene.

"Put me down, Steven! I need to kick him again! I am so sick of being hit on by wannabe losers who still live in their _mother's basements!_ " she shouted out as a crowd of horrified people watched. "Go find your rubber woman and harass _her_! Dork! Steven, put me down."

"I'll put you down when you're calm." Right then, as Hyde hugged her legs and continued to walk her through the crowd, Jackie relaxed and he felt her limp little body expand with a deep breath.

"I'm calm."

Hyde stopped and gently set her down, watching with amusement as she adjusted her clothes and fixed her hair with feigned grace. "Thank you."

He smirked. "I don't know what the hell you need me for. You kicked that guy's ass all by yourself."

Jackie smiled, a little proud of herself. "I did, didn't I?"

Hyde nodded and without warning, small arms were wrapped around his neck in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Steven."

"You uh, you ready to run back through the rain?" he asked, trying to spare himself from the awkwardness. Having forgotten all about the car that runs on water, his picture tucked safely in his pocket, Hyde allowed his feisty charge to drag him through the storm and over to the '21st Century - Future of Science' exhibition next door.

* * *

The Inventor's Exhibition Hall

 _"Fool in the Rain" performed by 'Kashmir,' a Led Zeppelin cover band, sounds out through the large building._

 _And if you promised you'd love so completely  
and you said you would always be true  
You swore that you would never leave me baby  
What ever happened to you…_

All by herself, sitting on a park bench, Jackie worked to put together the anchor's report when a steaming hot baked potato with sour cream and chives was circled beneath her nose. "Mm. God, I'm starving." She took it and watched Hyde sit down next to her, his own baked potato, with all the stuff, in hand.

"So, I don't get it," he started, looking at all her paperwork. "You do all the freakin' work, but the anchor gets all the credit as if she did it?"

His female companion nodded sadly. "Pretty much. Though, I do get co-director credits to put in my portfolio."

"Lame," Hyde threw in, taking a careful bite of his spoonful of potato.

"I know. It sucks, but if I want an anchor position someday, I'll have to play the game like everyone else." Looking around herself, Jackie turned to Hyde, confused, "Hey, where's my funnel cake?"

"I couldn't find a funnel cake stand, but I did get you this." He produced a large cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream for her to drink. "It's hot cocoa. You kept saying you were cold, so…"

"Oh, Steven," she cooed as she grabbed it carefully, immediately breathing in the chocolate aroma. She had been craving the warmth of a hot drink all day and took off her gloves to let the cup warm her cold, cramped up hands. For that, Hyde got a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. You _are_ a gentleman sometimes. No matter what I said earlier."

Leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, Hyde let Jackie get back to work while he ate his potato and checked out what he could from his seat. Over by the stage, people were dancing to the samba rhythms of the song on a make-shift dance floor while others laughed and haggled with inventors selling their inventions, ranging from motorized pogo sticks to smokeless ashtrays, one of which intrigued him. It was odorless. Before he knew it, though, his elbows were being lifted and black boots were being slipped over his lap. "What are you doing?"

"Getting comfortable," Jackie asserted unapologetically as she positioned both legs completely over him and scooted in, "Sit back." She was expecting some protest but none came as he sat back, pulled her legs closer to his stomach and went back to his potato. She was a little surprised. He'd always been one to cuddle, but when he was eating or in public, he would bitch at her invasion. Now, he simple sat and ate, adjusting himself to make room for her, without a single complaint.

Was it Jessica's doing? Had she tamed him? It wasn't much; he was still an ass majority of the time, but noticeably more willing to accommodate. A part of her hated Jessica for how easy she had it, even though she knew she shouldn't. She should be happy for her, right? Happy that at least _someone_ had this part of him. But Jackie wasn't. She was jealous instead. Although, she had to remember one fact as Hyde finally sensed her gaze and looked over: Jessica had been cheated on…with her.

He hadn't changed that much.

"What's up? Why aren't you eating?"

"I am," Jackie replied, arbitrarily glancing at his potato. He looked at it, too, and scooped up some of it onto his spoon, putting it to her mouth.

She opened up, and he watched her lips close around it. "Pretty good, huh?"

"Mm-hm," she muttered and rested her head on his shoulder, content to just sit with him and watch the comings and goings of the crowd, eating potatoes with all the stuff. "I think I like yours better."

"Well, you can't have it."

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

Outside, Main Street of the Fair

Around 4:30 PM

Running from tent to tent, like two scampering squirrels in the rain, Hyde and Jackie strategically avoided getting soaked on their way to the fairground entrance.

"Jackie, jump!"

Taking a few steps backwards, the barely-crimped brunette took a chance and leaped across a large puddle into his arms.

"Now run!"

Together, they took off and ran like hell, her screaming and laughing the entire way, until they reached another small tent full of wares and did it again. But then at one tent in particular, Hyde stopped.

"God! My hair is going to be so flat!" Jackie shouted over the downpour before noticing that Hyde wasn't paying any attention to her. "Steven, are you even listening to me?!"

"Yeah, your hair's flat."

While Jackie gasped at his comment, Hyde squinted his eyes at something in the distance and then smiled. "Funnel cake."

"Steven, I have to get to the entrance! There's no time for funnel cake!"

"I'll be right back."

"Steven!"

"I'll be _right_ back!" He took off through the rain while Jackie waited, fuming, and when he got to the stand; he ordered two, both with extra powdered sugar.

"Four dollars."

Reaching into his pocket, Hyde pulled out his money and the picture. "Oh, crap." Somehow, he had forgotten. Damn it, he had to tell her. He had to tell _someone_ from the old gang. "Hey! Jackie!"

"What?!" he heard her scream, still standing where he had left her.

Hyde raised the photo. "It's the car that runs on…" As the word 'water' left his lips, thunder struck and muted his words. "Jackie!"

"What?!" She looked terrified suddenly, but he held up the picture again and pointed.

"I saw the car that…" The thunder rumbled again. "Crap!"

"Four dollars, man."

"Oh, yeah." Reaching up to hand over the money, a wind picked up and blew the Polaroid out if his hand. "Damn it! Grab that!" he yelled at the guy, who looked over and saw that a picture had fallen about an inch from his funnel cake batter. "Hurry, man!" But before the man could grab it, the wind knocked it into the batter.

"Sorry, dude. It fell in."

"So, get it out," Hyde demanded.

The guy sighed and used his tongs to find the picture but his klutziness got the best of him and it fell straight into the hot oil nearby.

"Man, what the hell?! Now no one's going to believe me." Hyde threw his four dollars at the dumbass that ruined his picture and looked at his watch. It was simple. They would meet the anchor and go back to get another picture.

"Steven! It's 4:30!" he heard Jackie shriek angrily. "Get your ass over here, now!" He did, and decided he hated funnel cake as Jackie passed her work over to some plastic blond that looked very familiar to him.

"You ready to go?" Jackie asked when she was done. "We should get out of here before rush hour starts and we end up in bumper to bumper traffic all night."

Hyde watched the familiar woman walk away. "Man, I think I nailed your anchor, once."

"Steven!"

He looked back at Jackie. "No, we can't leave now. I'm telling you, I've gotta get another picture."

"Ugh! Will you just let it go? There is no car that runs on water, Steven. You were high."

"That's it," Hyde growled, grabbing her hand and dragging her all the way back to the Automotive Exhibit building. "I'll be happy to sit in traffic for this. Just to watch you squirm for calling me a liar."

* * *

 **One Hour Later**

 **I-41 North – Chicago, IL**

Shaking his head, furious as hell, Hyde stared ahead at bumper to bumper traffic, complete gridlock.

Next to him, Jackie sat with her arms folded, rolling her eyes and thinking about the fact that there was no way she would reach Colin tonight. And…

"You know, Steven. There's no way we're going to make it to see Leo tonight."

Hyde shot her a glare. "Yeah, I realize that, Jackie. But thanks for the reminder." His chest was tight with frustration and her big mouth was making it worse. How could Wilbur just be gone? An entire car gone? No one was going to believe him now, and Jackie wasn't helping. "There was a car," he repeated for the tenth time.

"Uh-huh."

Hyde's blood began to boil over, and he had to swallow down the anger that he didn't want to unleash. The car had him fuming, the traffic had him pissed, but the fact that Leo could wake up or worse without him there had him enraged.

"Steven, move! The car ahead of you moved!"

"By a foot." Hyde turned the wheel sharply and got into the breakdown lane. "That's it. I can't sit here in this car with you all night."

"What are you doing?"

"Cutting through the city."

"Well, that's dumb. You don't even know this city."

She had no idea. He knew this city…sort of. He had scoured it five years prior, trying to find her damn hotel, her little love den with Kelso.

"I know it enough," he assured her as he drove away farther and farther away from the highway. But the exit had only led him to an area he didn't know at all. Looking around made it clear that it was a bad part of town. And there was not a single sign in sight. After a half an hour of driving in circles and of Jackie's silent treatment, Hyde thought he saw a sign for the highway a block over.

In the same instant, his back tire blew.

"Crap!"

He heard Jackie sigh loudly as the van rolled to a stop against the sidewalk of a dark, empty side street. "Nice job, Steven," she said and pulled the door handle to get out.

But Hyde grabbed her. "Are you out of your mind?" he said, closing her door back up. "Look around you, Jackie. We're in the damn ghetto. You can't just go walking off by yourself. This isn't Point Place." He looked around and opened his own door. "Just stay in the car. I'll be right back. And keep it locked."

Hyde got out and walked around the van to open up the back doors, mindful of his surroundings the entire time. This would need to be done at record speed. He wouldn't have cared if he'd been alone, but Jackie was with him. Lifting up the spare tire door, Hyde's breath left him entirely.

It was empty.

And he immediately remembered why.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath and looked up at Jackie as she stared back at him. She looked so sure of him, like he could handle anything, even after he had gotten them into this mess. She was annoyed but believed that he would make it okay. It was all over her face. Hyde turned his eyes to the sky and shut them for a moment, trying to think of what to do. It had stopped raining a few minutes prior, so he climbed in through the back of the van and shut its doors. He would take her somewhere safe when the rain started again. Weirdos and criminals probably didn't roam the streets in the rain, looking to screw with people. So, they would wait.

"Steven," Jackie called from up front as he sat down on the carpeted floor of the van and leaned against the wall. "Why aren't you changing the tire?"

"I don't have a spare." Hyde looked up at her newly-worried eyes. That look from a few moments earlier was gone, and he shook his head apologetically. "A couple months ago, Kelso had a flat and took mine. I forgot to replace it." With a hard thud, Hyde slammed his head against the side wall, feeling like a dumbass. His laziness was going to get them into trouble tonight; he could feel it.

"Jackie, come sit on the floor with me," he said a minute later.

"Why? I like it up here."

"Because I don't want anybody seeing you."

Looking around at the eerily calm street, Jackie saw a man walking toward the van and did as Hyde asked. She sat across from him and felt her stomach churn with anxiety. Though Hyde was here, she sort-of felt alone. He wasn't talking, and she could see, once her eyes grew adjusted to the darkness, that he wasn't happy. "Steven," she said. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Look, once it starts to rain, we'll take a walk and find a gas station."

"We?"

"Yeah, we. I'm not leaving you alone in the car."

A surge of affectionate feelings rushed through her chest and belly. She found his chivalry—on the rare occasion it appeared—sweet. Crawling over to him, she climbed onto his lap.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Getting comfortable," she said as she wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged his entire body. She'd always loved his lap. It was comfortable and safe, and she needed it right now. It felt nice being protected. So nice.

A few more minutes of silence passed while she held him, her head on his shoulder. "Why are you so quiet, Steven?"

"Because I'm trying to think," he snapped, startling her. "And you're distracting me."

"What are you so mad about?" Jackie raised her head, "It's going to be fine. You said it yourself."

"How do you figure, Jackie? We have no car now and no idea where we are, except to know that we're in the middle of the freakin' ghetto, and I've got you." Hyde dropped his head back. "Damn it…Just stop talking and let me think."

"Well, what if we call someone? Like the Formans."

"What, so they can roam the ghetto searching for us? Hell no. I'm not dragging anybody else into this."

Sighing, Jackie laid her head back down on his shoulder and felt him tense. She wished for the old Hyde back. The one who had just helped her across puddles and bought her a baked potato. She especially wanted the old, old Hyde back, the one who called her a tiny, benign cyst and shaved his beard off for her. She wanted him so badly. Just him, and everything would truly be fine. Hoping to manifest this very desire, she nuzzled his neck softly, letting her nails gently scratch at the back of his head. "Steven..."

Hyde moved his head. "Jackie, stop. We can't start this crap again. Not right now."

"Why not," she asked. "I'm just trying to relax you."

He didn't respond, so she continued for a few minutes, eventually taking it too far, kissing his ear and neck tenderly. His head turned slightly toward her, his breath growing heavy when her fingers moved to his sideburns and scratched lightly down to his jaw.

"Jackie…"

"Shh. I'm not scared, Steven, because I know you would never let anything happen to me." Another kiss to his neck. "There's no stopping you when you're protecting me." She gave him another kiss, thinking of that far away night and the look in his eyes. She wondered if he ever thought about it…

 _June 18, 1982_

" _Steven, what are you doing?" Hyde stood up and stepped back. "Steven, don't!" Jackie began to cry. "NO! PLEASE!" Grabbing at any piece of him that she could find, she tried to yank him toward her. Though it was harder than she thought it would be, and he was stronger than she remembered._

" _Steven! Look at me," she insisted, awkwardly cutting her own body in between Hyde and the bloodied heap of her boyfriend who lay at his feet, half-conscious with his perfect teeth straddling the dirty concrete curb. "Steven." Cupping his face gently, Jackie spoke in the most soothing voice that would emanate from her parched throat. "Steven, please. Look at me." His eyes remained fixed, though, on Chris, his limbs and torso rigid and unmoving. "Please." Jackie let her words turn to desperate whispers as the fear finally caught up with her and made her shake. "You're scaring me. Please look at me?"_

 _Unable to physically turn Hyde's head toward her, Jackie's trembling fingers moved to caress his face instead, her long nails delicately combing his stubble and thickly grown sideburns. She suddenly felt sorry for her scruffy ex. Even after a year and half of loathing every molecule that shaped him, she felt intense sympathy. She couldn't help it. His clothes were unkempt, and he was drunk, so drunk that she could smell the beer wafting from his every exhale. Cringing, Jackie realized that this was not her Steven, not the one she had loved anyway. He was still gone, but whoever this was, this horrible man, he obviously cared about what happened to her._

" _Whatever he said about me, it doesn't matter," she told him tenderly, careful with her tone while his breathing was still so ragged and his alert eyes still held their glazed-over quality on his opponent. But in that same instant, Jackie felt a warm stream of thick liquid roll down from her temple and quickly wiped it away before Hyde could notice. "Steven, he's barely conscious."_

 _Hyde finally blinked, softening his glare as his muscles relaxed slightly, and gave Jackie some much needed hope._

 _"Look at me, Steven" she whispered slowly, using the same softness she had years before in his bedroom, in the dark, when it was only the two of them, young and determined to explore every inch of each other. "Please, baby." She waited for what seemed like an eternity "I love you. Please."_

 _And in that moment, Hyde finally looked at her, his blue eyes raw and human again._

 _It was him. A brief glimpse. One she wouldn't see again for over two years, except when it was directed at a certain strawberry blonde._

 _But, at the time, Jackie didn't know what the future would hold. So, with a small smile, her hands, gentle and soft, skimmed the length of his jaw line, and she nodded in response to the confused look in Hyde's eyes. "I do. Steven, keep looking at me. It's just you and me. There's nobody else here." Rising onto her bare toes, she stroked his cheeks again and brought her lips to within an inch of his. His irregular breathing continued in short bursts, but his eyelids flickered drowsily before finally closing. "I need you to be calm for me, okay?"_

 _Jackie brushed her lips gently over his to keep him focused on her as his respirations slowed and finally leveled out. She forced him to hear and feel only her as she circled her bottom lip around the circumference of his mouth. "Please." By instinct, her lips parted, and she let her breath warm his chin before returning to his lips. "Come inside with me, Steven," she whispered again, giving him a light kiss while she pressed his cheeks and pulled his face toward her, making him pucker as she purred, "kiss me." And when he did, so tenderly, she could feel his body completely relax, bewitched by her quiet femininity and tempted by the prospect of yet another kiss as she pulled away. "Follow me."_

 _Hyde shook his head, not budging as his eyes snapped open. "Not yet."_

" _Steven."_

" _No. I want you to go wait over there," he told her sternly but composedly, directing her toward the building with a nod. "I'm not done with him."_

" _Steven…"_

" _Now, Jackie!"_

 _She stomped her foot. "Fine! But just know, if you do it, he'll die and you'll go to jail, and I'll never forgive you for ruining your life! Never!"_

" _Yeah... Well, thanks for summin' up the situation for me," he said in his usual sarcastic tone as he looked down at Chris, and Jackie breathed her first sigh of relief. It was going to be alright. She had taken his rage and left behind only her drunken jerk of an ex-boyfriend, still pissed but seemingly in control._

 _As Jackie backed away slowly, she witnessed something she hadn't expected. Under the fluorescent yellow safety lights of her apartment complex, Steven Hyde knelt down in front of his adversary and seemed to inspect him before saying something near his ear. The curiosity was killing her. What was he saying? She could only imagine, knowing Hyde. He was a wordsmith of the most heinous variety. But it didn't matter because almost immediately he stood up and started to walk, stopping only to give Chris one last kick in the gut before continuing toward her._

" _Hey, I don't think he's going to be coming around you anymore."_

" _How do you know?"_

 _He made a face, as though she had just asked the most outlandish question ever thought up. "Because I told him I'd kill him if he did," he said, then grabbed her hand to pull her inside. "By the way, I'm spending the night. No arguing."_

 _As her rekindled hero dragged her toward her apartment, Jackie smiled and didn't say a word. She was proud of herself, and of him. He had come through when she needed him most, despite their ugly past and she… Well, she had saved him right back. And although Jackie doubted he would ever thank her, she knew that his life and his future, the beautiful one she knew he would one day have, would be her thanks enough…_

It was only a few minutes later, but Hyde's placated, twenty-five-year-old body was perfectly relaxed in Jackie's arms and his head lay sleepily on her shoulder. But more importantly, and what had her relaxed, too, was the fact that he was hugging her back, tightly. "Do you feel better?" she asked quietly and felt him nod before he raised his head to look at her. "Now what are _we_ going to do?"

With his newfound tranquility, Hyde took a piece of her still-slightly-crimped hair and ran it curiously between his fingers with a sigh. "Alright. Why don't you get your umbrella—let's not forget that this time—and when the rain starts again, like I said, we'll find a hotel for the night. We'll be able to get a tire easier in the morning." He watched her smile and noticed that look of certainty return. He was going to make it better. Then, without warning, she leaned in and kissed his mouth. Just a peck, but somehow, it made him feel even better. It was going to be alright. He wasn't even sure anymore what he had been so worried about and just then, the rain started to come down.

"It's raining," he said, feeling his own confidence return. "Time to go."

After gathering everything important, they both got out and locked the doors to the van. "Steven, come here," Jackie called, opening her umbrella. "Stay under the umbrella with me."

"I'm fine," he said. "It's not that bad." It wasn't coming down in sheets, like before.

With a huff, Jackie rolled her eyes. "Steven, just come here." She grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him close as she leaned against the van and covered them both. "You're so bad at hints."

Hyde smirked when she wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him flush against her body. He'd forgotten how direct she was when she wanted something… or someone.

"What is it you want, Jackie?"

"You," she whispered, instantly annoyed with herself for letting the words loose. They were said so quietly, but the moment they left her lips, he was kissing her. His mouth and skin were wet from the rain, his tongue hot and his kisses practically melting her senses.

"Well, look at what we got here."

"Love birds," she heard a sardonic voice joke as yet another snickered.

"Oh, no," she said.

"Crap," Hyde whispered against her lips.

Jackie leaned slightly to see. "Steven…"

"How many," he asked.

"Three," she whined. "Four now."

"Hey boy. We're talking to you," a deeper voice spoke more threateningly.

"Jackie, when I tell you to run… run. Don't look back and don't try to help me. Just run toward all those tall buildings. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, then watched him turn around.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Scene of the Crime**

* * *

 **November 6, 1984**

 **6:23 pm**

 **Chicago, Illinois**

This was new territory for Hyde. He'd been in this kind of situation before, him against more than one, but tonight was different. Tonight, he was apprehensive. As his eyes darted from man to man, four in all, his body guarding Jackie's, one thought consumed him: if he got knocked out, what would happen to her? The range of possible answers gave him more resolve, so much more, than any other situation had ever given him. And he knew; he would kill every one of them if he had to. But whatever happened, she was walking away with _him._

"Hey, man," Hyde said to biggest guy, the one directly in front of him, while maintaining constant eye contact, his spine straight, eyes blinking only when he felt Jackie rest her head against his back and clutch his waist for comfort. "What's up?"

"This your van?" the large man asked.

"Uh…yep."

Tucked behind Hyde, Jackie pressed her cheek to his upper back, trying to focus on the relaxed tone of his voice as he spoke. She knew he was probably nervous, but he didn't show it. Not at all. And it made her feel so safe behind him. Though, she worried for him, too, knowing what lengths he would seek to protect her. But she knew, no matter _what_ happened, she wasn't leaving his side as he's instructed. She wouldn't abandon him or throw him to the wolves to save herself. She just wouldn't. As long as her feet could kick and her fists could punch, she would stay with him.

Laughter rang throughout the empty street and made her jump slightly. "You know, there ain't nowhere to get a tire around here, right?"

"Yeah, I kind of figured," Hyde responded, glancing to his far left, where he noticed a licentious gaze resting on Jackie. He decided that the immediate threat lay there. Two of the remaining men were farther back and the group's obvious leader, the one he was talking with, seemed calm and more interested in his van than anything else. They were screwing with him, he knew, but they weren't looking to fight just yet. Hyde's pride, though, kept telling him to threaten the one to his left, but his brain shut his pride up fast. There were four men, and she could barely run in those damn boots. The reality was, he was outnumbered and overpowered; one good hit, and she was alone.

"You're in the wrong neighborhood, boy."

"Yeah, I'm realizing that." Then Hyde saw forward movement in his left peripheral vision and heard a deep voice call out to Jackie. Pure rash impulse sent his fist flying into the man's nose, hard and fast, and he watched him instantly fall to the ground.

Instantaneously, a flood of adrenaline burst from Hyde's heart, pumping furiously through his veins and forcing his senses into overdrive as his body grew ready to fight. But, to his surprise, no one came after him. Instead, the remaining three threats were pointing and laughing at their friend as he held his bloody nose and writhed on the ground.

"What'd you think was gonna happen, fool?" the largest one, the leader, berated as he chuckled. "You saw my man here was guarding his girl." Near uncontrollable laughter echoed through the street, and Hyde's heart was practically pounding out of his chest but still, no one came at him. "Stupid motherfucker." The big man shook his head at the one on the ground. "I should let him fuck your dumb ass up."

"Steven, what's happening?" Jackie uttered quietly behind him. But Hyde wasn't sure. All he could imagine was that these guys were just like him and his friends, getting a good laugh at each other's expense. Regardless, though, he stayed vigilant. They could turn on him at any moment.

"This fool just beat your clown ass down," another shouted through his near laughing fit as he mimicked his friend's pained groans. The leader chuckled again, shaking his head before turning to another and pointing at Hyde.

"Check out Wisconsin here. All ready to fight for his lady." He turned to Hyde. "Man, relax. We ain't gonna fuck you up in front of your girl." As the leader stepped forward, the one he had hit got to his feet, and Hyde kept his wide eyes locked, daring him to do something.

"Hey," the leader called, putting his hand out to his friend as he shook his head, silently telling him to back off. He turned back at Hyde and gestured rightwards. "Let's me and you talk over here for a minute"

"No, I'm good right here," Hyde told him, still glowering left. "And if your friend takes one more step toward her, I'll kill him."

"If my man comes at her again, I'll kill him myself," the big man replied. With that, Hyde relaxed slightly, but never took his eyes off the friend for too long, completely unaware that behind him, a little brunette was peering over his shoulder, sneaking a peek at the group's boss.

"You ain't got nothing to be scared of, baby doll," the big man told her. "You're alright." To Hyde's dismay, Jackie inched out slightly and rested her cheek on his arm, hugging it for comfort as she continued to hold the umbrella over their heads. With a nod of approval, the big guy grinned at Hyde. "Damn, Wisconsin. You've got yourself a nice-looking lady. What's her name?"

The flattered brunette lifted her head and smiled. "Oh, I'm Jackie, and this is Steven."

With the arm she was clinging to, Hyde nudged her back a little, but she only returned to his side. Hyde rolled his eyes. If these thugs wanted to kill her, they were going to have to get in line behind him.

"Well, hello, Jackie," the big man said. "I'm Elbert."

Instantly, Jackie sneered and scrunched her nose. "Elbert?" She was surprised by the non-gangster-like name, expecting 'Razor' or 'Brutus' or something equally tough.

"Is there something wrong with my name?" he asked her.

Feeling a little more at ease, she let go off Hyde's arm. "Oh, no. I think it's very nice, Elbert."

"Well, thank you, Jackie. It was my grandpop's name."

Jackie smiled. "Oh! I was named after my dad. His name was Jack."

Elbert returned her smile. "That's nice."

Hyde grimaced and tried to push Jackie back behind him again, only to have her return… again. His jaw tightened. What the hell was her dopey, little cheerleader brain thinking?

"Elbert, man, can we speed this shit up," the guy behind Elbert complained, wiping the rain droplets from his leather jacket. "My coat's getting soaked. It's going to toughen the leather."

The big man's face hardened. "Man, shut the fuck up. I'm talking with the lady here."

With pursed lips, Hyde tried to push Jackie back behind him again, but she wouldn't budge. "Look, what the hell is it you want?" he asked Elbert.

Elbert glanced behind Hyde at the van. "Oh, I think you know what we want, Wisconsin."

As the street turned silent, Hyde thought over his options. Was giving up the van, and probably his wallet, worth a free pass out of the ghetto? He didn't care about the van much, so that was a plus. Now, if it had been the el Camino, he might have put up a fight. But it wasn't. And it wasn't as if he had a choice, anyway. He had Jackie to think about. He could either hand over the keys and walk out of this mess OR get his assed kicked, have them taken away anyway, and limp out.

Hyde chose the former. It involved less of his blood.

"Fine," he grumbled, pulling his keys from his pocket. "Hey. I hand these over, that means that her and I walk out of here with no problems, right?"

"Of course, brother. What kind of car thieves do you think we are?"

Jackie's brow furrowed and her voice rose to a nails-on-chalkboard level. "Wait, what? They want your van?"

"Yeah, try and keep up, Jackie," Hyde said and held out his keys.

But before Elbert could snag them, a little manicured, exfoliated hand grabbed them first. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no."

Hyde turned to her, incredulous almost beyond words. "Jackie, what the hell are you doing?"

The pissed-off brunette waved them in front of Elbert and puckered her brow in anger. "You, are _not_ taking his van! We need this van to get home!"

Elbert sighed. "The deal's done, Jackie."

"Over my dead body it is!"

"You better control your girl, Wisconsin," Elbert warned.

"Jackie…"

"I thought we were friends, Elbert?" Jackie said, hands on her hips.

"Get the keys from your lady now; before I let my man here get 'em."

"Give me the damn keys, Jackie," Hyde growled. "Now."

"No," she stubbornly replied before glaring at the big man. "And I don't like your tone, Elbert. And, you know what, I don't think I like _you_ , anymore. You're not as nice as I thought you were. Oh! And by the way, Elbert's a _stupid_ name for a gangster!"

Elbert's round face scowled and he seemed to stand a little taller. "What'd you say?"

With a whimper, Jackie tucked her body back behind Hyde's as he stood, shaking his head and cursing God for bringing her into his life.

"You can't hit a girl," Jackie reminded Elbert.

"No, but I can hit your boy here."

Pointing at him, the mouthy brunette stepped back out into the open. "You better not, Elbert!"

Elbert looked around, flabbergasted, and then grimaced at Hyde. "Is she always like this?"

"Pretty much."

"Then you better have a serious talk with her before she gets your ass killed."

Hyde took a deep breath. He had always known that Jackie Burkhart would be the death of him; he just hadn't thought it would be so literal. And then, as if the earth's rotation slowed, detailing the twist and turn of every molecule that subsisted in its sphere of gravity, the umbrella above Hyde's head came down and swung around to Jackie's side, where it closed, finally exposing them both to the rain. Hyde looked over, unaware that Elbert's massive fist was cocking back, and watched Jackie cringe and shut her eyes, her skinny arms raising her designer Christian Dior umbrella like a baseball bat. Before he could react, though, she swung and bashed its wooden handle directly into Elbert's nose just as his fist grazed Hyde's chin.

"Oh, shit!" Hyde shoved her away. "Jackie, get the hell outta here! Run!"

"Steven!"

Struck from his right side, Hyde was knocked toward Jackie, and he quickly pushed her behind the van. "Go! Run!"

Without another second wasted, he turned back and was punched again instantly.

Hyde returned one good hit but he was struck a third time from the side; the sheer velocity of it slamming his entire body against the van.

Ugh, getting punched sucked.

His eyes shut briefly from the pain, and he wondered how far Jackie had gotten when he heard her scream about two feet away from him. When he opened his eyes, a millisecond later, he watched her nervously shove the end needle of her umbrella at her admirer's crotch and watched him hit the ground crying. Then Hyde took two more punches, to his left and right cheekbones. His face was on fire but the next guy who came at him got a kick in the nuts and the next one a strike to the face with Jackie's umbrella needle.

Hyde got to his feet. "Gimme that," he shouted at her and caught it within seconds as it swung past him. Hyde knew he could put more force behind their only weapon's swings. And as Jackie ran behind him, the remaining two—big man and leather jacket guy, each with a switchblade in hand—laughed.

"Look! He's going to beat us down with a pink umbrella."

Hyde nodded. Yeah, but not how they thought. There were two combat strategies that Jacquelyn Burkhart, a one-hundred-pound girl, had successfully used to kick his ass on several occasions: shin kicks and surprise attacks. He knew first hand that both hurt like hell.

With misdirected intent swimming in his eyes, Hyde raised the umbrella high and then, without warning, kicked Elbert square in the crotch and, while he still had the element of surprise on his side, swung the umbrella tip around to pierce through one of leather jacket guy's ball sack. Both men fell to the ground, one screaming, while Hyde and Jackie looked at each other. "Damn, that does work."

"Told ya." Jackie nodded. "But, what do we do, now?"

"Uh…Run," Hyde decided, grabbing Jackie by the elbow and pulling her toward the high rises of downtown Chicago. A few quick back glances revealed that three of the men were getting up and moving toward them. "Jackie, run faster!"

"I can't! My boots!"

"Damn it, I told you not to wear those god damn things!" There was no way they could outrun anybody at this pace, even fat Elbert. Looking around at the neighborhood that surrounded them, Hyde noticed a few storefronts under construction. And after they turned the corner, he yanked her behind some scaffolding and support beams. Deep behind one was a thin crevice and immediately, he shoved Jackie inside. "Be quiet. I'll be right back."

"Don't leave me," he heard her whisper as he ran back out into the street. Quickly, Hyde hurled the umbrella like a javelin as hard as he could, hoping to leave false evidence that they had gotten further than they actually had. And just as quickly, he ran back to Jackie, tucking himself inside the tiny fissure with her.

"Shh, don't talk," he said.

"Where's my umbrella?"

"In the street. Shh!"

"That umbrella was two hundred dollars, Steven. It's a Dior."

"Shh!"

"I'm scared," she whispered in his ear, gripping his neck tightly as he bear-hugged her body.

"Why the hell did you do that?" he whispered back. "Why didn't you run when I told you?"

"I was not going to leave you, Steven."

"Well…" Sighing quietly, Hyde squeezed her tighter and burrowed his face even deeper into her hair. He had to admit, it was a ballsy move on her part, and all done for him. So, for that, he gave her a tender kiss below her ear. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Shortly after, a loud holler in the distance shattered the quiet moment and put them back on alert. "You can't hide on these streets, Wisconsin! I own this shit!"

Hyde shook his head. He hated hiding; it made him feel like such a pussy. "Screw it. I'm going out there."

Jackie kicked his shin, making him wince in pain, "Are you stupid, Steven? They have knives. And they're _really_ mad now."

"Mad? You think, Jackie?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know, I could really do without your sarcasm right now. Why don't we just wait a few minutes, let them get further away, then make a run for it?"

"Then you gotta take off those boots. They're slowing us down." Hyde looked down at her feet. "These freakin' things have gotten me into more trouble than Kelso and my circle habit put together."

Near his ear, she giggled. She then raised her knee between his legs, letting the heel of her boot drag along his calf.

"Jackie, cut it out," he whispered a few moments later. "This isn't a great time for footsie." But he was lying. For some reason, the air of excitement and risk had his senses heightened. Her hot, sweet breath was blowing in his ear, her teeth were tugging at his lobe and her tongue was warming his skin. It was charging him up with a scorching desire to take her right there. "God, Jackie. Why are you doing this right now?"

"Because this is really dangerous," she whispered. "And I'm terrified. I need a distraction. Kiss me, Steven."

He was about to, so ready to taste her tongue again, but there was no way in hell he would be able to focus on anything else. "I can't," he panted, mentally fighting back the kisses she was now leaving on neck. "Oh, not now… Come on. We're going to make a run for it."

Jackie stopped. "Right now? What if they're not gone?"

"Then we're dead Wisconsin meat. Take off your boots."

Jackie did, shoving them into her large bag while Hyde did a double-take. "Jackie, you have your bag?"

"Well, yeah. My make-up's in it. Do you know how expensive—"

Hyde waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. What's in it?"

"I don't know. Make-up, a curling iron…" She smiled. "My head shots."

"You got hair spray in there? Or, hey, you got scissors?"

"Oh, my God, I do," Jackie blindly fished through her bag and pulled out a small pair of shearing scissors. "Here."

Grinning, Hyde shoved them into his pocket. His ex-girlfriend's illogical need to carry her entire apartment in her ridiculously large chick bag just might save their asses.

After another few minutes, Jackie and Hyde ventured out onto the streets of Chicago, quickly but quietly, hand in hand, and not saying a single word. The more they distanced themselves from the housing projects of the ghetto, the happier they both became. It was starting to look like they were in the clear. And as the sweet view of downtown grew larger in their eyes, the more relaxed they both felt, growing careless as the charged air around them prompted a relay of smiles and flirtatious banter.

They had probably walked for about sixteen blocks, without a single bout of trouble, when Jackie suddenly slapped her hand to Hyde's chest and stopped him, cold.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Elbert," she squeaked, her eyes wide. And just as Hyde looked over to his right, they were spotted.

"Go!" he yelled as he pushed her down a small street that led them toward a larger, busier one. And as they closed in on it, Jackie grew grateful to see all the bright lights ahead, but Fat Elbert and the rest of the junkyard gang seemed to be closing in fast. They had to reach the busier street before the big man reached them. Hopefully, it would deter them from jumping Hyde.

"I think I've been here before," Jackie told Hyde breathlessly. The corner was coming up, and Hyde told her to turn right. When she did, she saw two men smoking in front of a pub and stopped. They saw her, too, and said something but she didn't notice because it was then that she realized that Hyde wasn't with her anymore. He had never turned the corner. "Steven?"

One of the men from the pub jogged up to Jackie, looking concerned. "Sweetheart, are you alright?"

"Oh, my God," Jackie started to worry, "Steven. You have to help him! Please!"

 _Fifteen seconds earlier…_

"Right! Jackie, go right!" When he was sure she would make the corner, Hyde turned around, knowing how close their followers really were, and threw a fierce punch, causing the quietest, and obviously the fastest, one of Elbert's friends to run straight into his fist, sending him off his feet and to the ground. Hyde did the same as the second ran up, but immediately afterward felt a brutal blow to his own head that sent him crashing into the pavement. Pure, debilitating pain followed as his vision tunneled and hearing grew muffled, as though he was underwater. He must have been hit in the ear. His hand cupped the throbbing appendage. Elbert.

When Hyde was finally able to stand, he felt another blow to his gut that knocked the wind out of him and nearly emptied his stomach of its contents. But as he groaned and struggled through the pain, feeling another crack to his eye that drove his body backwards into the wet concrete, he heard Jackie's muffled voice calling his name. He opened his eyes and saw millions of tiny raindrops racing toward him and then Jackie's beautiful face as it replaced the night sky. She was mouthing his name now as noise came in and out, and he felt his head come to a rest on something soft and warm…

"Oh, my God, Steven, are you okay?" Jackie rested Hyde's battered head on her lap as her new friends threatened the intruding thugs, one cocking a shotgun and aiming it at Elbert, telling him to get the hell back to his own neighborhood. "Steven, answer me."

"I'm fine," he groaned as he slowly sat up and forced a grin. "That fat fuck hits like a girl."

"Oh, Steven," she exclaimed, tossing her arms around his neck. "Thank God!"

Happy, enthusiastic kisses peppered his bruised, swelling face as he cringed. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow."

Her eyes grew wide. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry." This time, she kissed his lips. They were still perfect and only had the slightest of a bruise. "Are you sure you're OK?" she asked him. "You look really…"

"Don't say it," he warned, standing up slowly and painfully, his stomach aching as he did. Once he was on his feet, he inspected her. "Hey, are _you_ OK?"

"I'm fine," she said, resting her head against his chest while she hugged him as gently as possible and pointed to her new friends. "These really nice, gun-toting city people helped us."

Hyde looked over. "Oh, hey, thanks." When the men turned around, Elbert and friends finally out of view, Hyde's beaten face lit up. "Hey! Wilbur!"

"Hey," Wilbur said, his determined scowl turning into a smile. "Hyde, right?" He pointed at Jackie. "And the little firecracker."

Hyde nodded. "Yeah."

"Wait, you know him?" Jackie asked as Wilbur walked over and shook Hyde's hand.

"Yeah," he answered, arrogantly arching his eyebrow at her. "This is the guy that you said didn't exist." Glancing at Wilbur, Jackie grimaced, not understanding. "You know, from the show, the car that runs on water." He would throw it in her face later. For now, he turned back to Wilbur. "Yeah, man. What happened to you earlier? I went back to your booth, and you were gone."

"Oh, I was tired. And hungry. The Mrs. had dinner waiting." Wilbur tossed his shotgun onto his shoulder. "Come on, let's head inside. There's a party going on."

"What are you celebrating?" Jackie asked.

Wilbur looked at her strangely. "Election Day," he responded as if the answer were obvious. Dumbly, Hyde and Jackie both nodded, neither had been paying much attention to the outside world in the past few days.

"Hey, I'm Tommy, by the way," Wilbur's friend said, shaking Hyde's hand and then Jackie's.

"I'm Hyde, and this is Jackie."

"So, what happened back there?" Tommy asked.

Hyde shook his head as they got to the door. "We got a flat in the middle of the projects and… Well, _those_ guys showed up and you can figure out the rest."

"Yeah, and I'll bet they're headed right back there to steal your van," Jackie added. "Freakin' poor people. I've been trying to warn you, Steven."

Painfully, Hyde raised an eyebrow and nodded. She had told him, about a million times.

"So, you've got a van stuck back there?" Wilbur asked, opening the door to let them inside.

"Yep." And at that, Hyde and Jackie walked inside 'Mingles' pub for the first time, hand in hand, looking like an average young couple to the patrons inside. Looking around, Hyde immediately felt comfortable. The faces were all worn, but friendly, and the atmosphere was inviting. It was an older crowd, about their parents' ages, all laughing and drinking and having a good time as music filled the air.

Jackie frowned. "So, this is _your_ bar?" she asked warily.

Wilbur grinned. "Yeah. My granddad owned her back when this city was a little safer to walk at night."

"It's nice," Hyde commented as the older man walked them deeper inside and addressed Tommy. "Hey. Go get Rich and Dave. We're going to get this kid's van back to your garage."

"Hey, man. You don't have to do that," Hyde said, not wanting to be a burden. "It's insured."

"No. No way are we letting those lowlifes steal what's yours. Not if I can help it," Wilbur said smiling. "We'll get it back."

Jackie looked worriedly at Hyde. "We have to go back?"

"Oh, no. You're not going, darlin," the older man told her. Frantically, Jackie shook her head and hugged Hyde's waist tightly, unwilling to let him go either.

"No. No. Don't leave me here by myself." She wanted to cry. He was her safe spot, her Puddin' Pop. If he left her, she felt like she would fall to pieces. "Please, Steven."

Hyde cupped her face. "Jackie, he's right. You can't go. It's safer here." But, he couldn't ignore the look of pure fear on her face and turned to Wilber. "Man, are you sure she's OK here?"

Wilbur looked at them thoughtfully, seeming to understand Hyde's concern, and directed them both to the bar where he introduced Jackie to the bartender. "Jackie, this is my wife Carol. Hon, this is Jackie. She's going to sit here with you while we go get this fella's van."

Carol, a woman of about fifty, smiled warmly at Jackie. "Sure thing. It's nice to meet you, Jackie. Have a seat. I'll make ya whatever you want," Carol looked over at Hyde for the first time. "Oh, honey. What happened to you?"

"Got in a fight."

"Yes, you did," she laughed. "Stay right there. Let me get you something to clean that up."

"No, I'm…" But she was already gone, and he was left with the task of prying Jackie's arms from his waist. "Jackie, come on."

"If you leave me here alone," she growled and gripped him tighter. "I'll never forgive you."

"I wouldn't leave you here if I thought you weren't safe. These people helped us. I don't think they're going to hurt you."

Sadly, and tersely, Jackie let go and looked away, folding her arms.

"Jackie, I promise, I'll be right back." She still wouldn't look at him. "Look, why don't' you have a drink? It'll make you feel better."

"You'll make me feel better," she muttered, "if you don't leave." She closed her eyes for a moment, her energy waning as her body came down hard from its adrenaline high, and when she opened them again, she saw Carol's sympathetic eyes.

"You look like you could use a drink, honey," she said, handing Hyde a warm, wet washcloth.

"She could," Hyde answered for her, hoping to settle Jackie's nerves. "She just kicked a fat guy named Elbert's ass with a pink umbrella."

Carol laughed. "Oh! My kind of girl," she said, shimmying her shoulders. "I've got just the thing."

While she sat on her barstool and felt sorry for herself, a thought occurred to Jackie, and she looked up, watching as Hyde tried to clean his face. It was bruised and cut, and his stomach was probably hurting, but yet, he was trying to make _her_ feel better. "Oh, Steven," she said and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm a terrible person." She heard him hiss from the pain but smiled anyway. "Thank you… You know, for…" Exhaustion stopped her from continuing, and she hugged him tighter. "Just thank you."

Hyde hugged her back. "You're welcome. But I do have to go get the van so we can get home," he told her quietly. "Before Elbert beats us to it."

Jackie let go and grabbed the washcloth, dabbing at the cuts on his cheekbones. "Fine. But be careful. And you better come back for me," she demanded. "Or the bruises on your face are going to be nothing compared to the ones on your shins."

"I'll be right back," he said just as Jackie's drink was placed on the bar.

"No charge, honey," Carol insisted.

Jackie beamed when she saw her Strawberry Daiquiri with pink umbrella included.

As she began relaying her 'David and Goliath' story to Carol, Hyde slipped away.

* * *

Three Minutes Later

With a pleased grin, Hyde walked up to the idling tow truck where Tommy sat waiting for him. "Get in," the older man yelled with a welcoming smile.

To himself, really, Hyde shook his head in amazement. "How awesomely convenient." He got inside and looked back at the bar where Jackie sat giggling with Carol and then to the truck next to him where Wilbur and two of his friends, all carrying shotguns, sat talking and then at the tow truck he was in, unable to believe his luck.

Once Hyde shut his door, the caravan got moving.

"What'd you say, man?" Tommy asked.

"Nothin'. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"What's with all the guns?"

Tommy laughed. "We like to hunt, but mostly, we like to keep the neighborhood safe. We can't always rely on the cops, you know?"

Hyde nodded. "I hear ya, man. I've seen who they let into the academy, first hand, and it's not pretty." For eight blocks, Hyde told Tommy all about Kelso and their academy break-ins while he did his best to direct the mechanic back to the van. "Right there," Hyde pointed. The truck slowed and Wilbur pulled up beside them, rolling down the window.

"That it?" he asked. Hyde nodded. That was it, but there was no Elbert in sight. And the only evidence of their dispute was the pink umbrella that lay in the street a block back. He would have picked it up but he was pretty sure Jackie wouldn't want it back, not after where it had been.

"Well, let's go," Wilbur said with a shrug. "Looks clear."

Tommy pulled up and got out, grabbing a spare tire out of the back of Wilbur's truck as Hyde stepped out, flabbergasted by their generosity. They were his fellow conspiracists and, apparently, there was an entire paranoid brotherhood that existed.

"Thanks, man," Hyde said, walking up.

"Oh, I'm not changin' it," Tommy clarified, smiling. "You are. But the tire is on me and so is the protection. Better hurry, though."

With a nod, Hyde took the tire and finally changed it as Wilbur, Tommy and the two other men stood guard with their rifles, commenting on politics and hot chicks and cars that run on water.

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

"OK, bye Carol!" Jackie yelled back as Hyde dragged her out of the bar, taking her to the motel next door that Wilbur had recommended. "So, where's the van?"

"In that guy Tommy's auto shop," Hyde replied. "He's going to put a regular tire on in it the morning."

"Did you run into Elbert, again?"

"Nope."

Rubbing his arm, Jackie smiled flirtatiously. "You're so brave, Steven," she purred. "And cute."

Hyde grimaced. "Are you buzzed?"

"A little."

"Well, no more for you." Walking through the motel lot, a realization slowly seeped in for both of them. This was a very familiar looking motel. Upon arrival, Jackie thought she had seen this street before and now she knew why, and so did he. This was the place. This was the very spot. This was where it had all gone down.

* * *

 **The Evergreen Motel**

"One room?" the motel's manager asked.

"No, two," Hyde corrected, handing the man a credit card. "Next door to each other."

"What, no. I don't want to sleep here by myself. Not after what happened." Defiantly, Jackie placed her hands on her hips. "Steven, you can waste your money on two rooms if you want, but I'm sleeping in yours with you."

Hyde didn't have the energy to argue with her, so he simply sighed.

"Are you mad?"

"No," he replied. "Why would I be mad?"

"I don't know, because of where we are."

"I don't care where we are, Jackie. I just want to lie down. I'm exhausted and my head hurts."

Without another word spoken, they finished checking in and received their room keys. Hyde handed Jackie hers and walked off toward his room.

"Steven," she called out behind him. "Can't you just come inside and check the room?"

Turning around, Hyde went inside room D with her. When Jackie flipped on the lights, they both shook their heads in utter disbelief.

"Oh, my God," she muttered, staring at the small, dingy room. "Is this it?"

Hyde didn't answer but he knew that it was. Or it was one just like it. It wasn't like he could forget…

 _August 1979_

" _Hey." His first thought had been that Jackie looked hot in her little nighty, but a tiny smirk had escaped his lips because, more than that, he couldn't wait to take it off of her. He had missed her in the most screwed up way; her absence leaving a deep ache that he hadn't anticipated when she left._

" _Steven, what, um... well, what are you doing here?"_

 _He watched her climb off the bed and decided to play it cool. "Uh, nothin'. I had some free time, thought I'd check out Chicago. How's it goin'?"_

" _Um, good." She wasn't as excited as he thought she would be but it didn't matter. He hated when she got all squeaky and jumpy, anyway. But he was prepared for it, convinced that she would fly into his arms at any moment. "Hey, do you want to go take a walk," she asked. "Go get something to eat?"_

 _He was about to tell her no, that he wasn't hungry, that he wanted to talk, mostly about her coming home with him, and maybe getting married, when…_

" _Jackie, I checked, and no one can see us doing it from the parking lot."_

 _And that was it. That was when the room had blackened before his eyes. The usual suspect stood half-naked, and Hyde felt his entire body deflate. That was why his girlfriend wasn't all squeaky and jumpy and, in his arms, kissing him. Suddenly, he felt like a dumbass for even expecting it, for showing up at all. They had probably laughed at how stupid he was for not knowing, for thinking she was alone in Chicago, missing him._

 _He remembered watching his best friend's face as twisted thoughts of the only girl he'd ever loved screwed with his head, thoughts that would torture him for months._

" _You're dead."_

 _And like the predictable shit that he was, Kelso ran from him, leaving only a damp towel in his hand. He remembered looking at Jackie then and suddenly hating all the things about her that he had once loved, suddenly hating her for all the pain he was feeling._

 _"Well, that didn't take you long, did it?" One last look, and he left her for good._

" _No, Steven, wait," she'd cried out, trailing him out the door, stopping only a few feet beyond it. "You didn't want me, remember? 'Have a good trip, Jackie!' I wanted you, Steven, and you let me go! You didn't want me!"_

" _I still don't," he replied coldly, unlocking his car door._

" _That's exactly what I expected you to say. You never loved me, Steven…" Her voice grew farther and farther away, and he fought the instinct to turn and counter her tearful assumptions. But he climbed into his car instead, and then he was driving, heading west on a dark highway, away from the sickness in his gut. Through the entire drive, there was a relentless ache in his chest and throat. He hated that feeling. It was the same one Edna had given him too many times to count and that Red had given him after his arrest. That unwanted feeling. That empty hole in his stomach that abandonment and betrayal left behind. It sucked, and then it took over…_

Hyde gave the room another glance and then turned his eyes to what he had left behind on that warm, August night. She was still smokin' hot. "I'll be in my room if you need me," he said before turning around to walk out.

"But I don't want this room."

"I don't know why," Hyde muttered as he walked out the door and disappeared around the corner. "You and Kelso had such a good time in there."

"Steven, shut up," she said as she followed him, closing the door behind her. "You know we didn't do anything."

"Do I?" Hyde unlocked his own door and stepped inside, letting her in behind him. "Jackie, it doesn't matter. That was, like, what, eight years ago?"

"Five."

"Whatever. It was a long time ago." Almost immediately, as Jackie shut the door, Hyde sighed and dropped himself onto the bed, grumbling as he stretched his worn and battered body. "So, what do you want to do? You want to watch TV or what?"

Jackie shrugged. "I guess."

Just then, Hyde felt something poke into his thigh and winced from the pain, immediately pulling out the scissors that were cutting into his skin. "Man, I forgot about these," he said, tossing them on the dresser. "Maybe I could've avoided getting my ass kicked out there."

A sympathetic pout crept over his ex-girlfriend's lips, and she walked over, leaning down to cup his face as he made eye contact. "But you got your ass kicked for me," she purred, her thumb sweeping over the swollen area beneath his eye. "And you've never been sexier." His eyes fell shut briefly as she gave him a noisy and grateful kiss on his lips. "Now, get in the shower and clean up. It'll make your headache go away."

Hyde thought about it. He felt like shit and both his stomach and head hurt. A hot shower sounded pretty good. "Yeah, OK," he said, getting up. "Hey, don't answer the door. Just…don't, OK?" She agreed, and he left her alone as he locked himself behind the bathroom door, lazily peeling off his clothes and stepping into the hottest spray of water his body could tolerate. His face stung from the heat but his headache and stomachache were soon forgotten as he sunk into relief…

"Hey, Adam. Is Colin there… Well, did he say where?" Her knees tucked against her chest, Jackie groaned and tipped over on the bed, letting her body stretch out lazily. "I think he's mad at me. Did he say anything… Nothing… Adam, I was being so horrible to him this morning … I know … Well, will you just tell him that I'm sorry … No, I'm not home. I'm in Chicago." In a flash, Jackie's body jerked excitedly, and she sat up. "Oh, my God, and I totally rumbled with gangsters from the ghetto. I kicked their butts, too. I'm badass," she bragged casually with a nod. "I did so… I am _not_ lying… But I'm not lying _right now_ … Whatever. Colin will believe me… No. Just tell him I called … OK. Bye."

With a frustrated huff, Jackie hung up the phone and glanced over at the bathroom door, thankful that Hyde was taking longer than usual. Or maybe he just took long showers now. Jackie frowned. It occurred to her that she really didn't know anything about him anymore. Then she thought of something. "Hey!" She flew off the bed and banged on the bathroom door. "Don't use up all the hot water!"

"You have your own shower," she heard him yell back. "Go use that one!"

"I already told you! I don't like that room!" It gave her dreadful, horrible feelings and, if she could help it at all, she was never stepping foot in there again. His room seemed brighter and warmer. "Steven," she pressed. "Come on!"

"Alright!" The shower ceased and, within minutes, Hyde emerged from the steamy room, dressed again and clean. "Hey, you were right. I do feel better."

Grabbing her bag, Jackie smiled. "See," she said as she brushed past him purposefully. "I won't be long."

Hyde turned around. "Hey, do you want to hang out at that bar tonight? Not to drink or anything," he added quickly. "Just, you know, so we're not just _here_ in the room... alone."

"Good idea. I'll get ready." Jackie seemed excited to him, and she was almost inside the bathroom when she turned back around. "Don't forget to call Leo."

"Right," he said as she disappeared into the steam, shutting the door behind her. After a long sigh, Hyde sat down and called the Kenosha Medical Center ICU. He found out from the charge nurse that, though Leo was still unconscious, he was doing better, and had been moved to a recovery unit earlier in the day.

Pleased with the news, Hyde hung up and nodded, smiling as he sat back against the headboard. A part of him wanted to drag Jackie out of the shower so he could go have a beer and tell her all about it. Tell her that things were looking up. But there was just one problem. In his gut sat a feeling of dread while his brain buzzed with his earlier words to Jessica. ' _I have plans in the city with Jackie today, and I wouldn't want to be late picking her up.'_ Crap. She was probably sitting in Minneapolis, pissed the hell off, and he couldn't blame her. If she had said that to him about _her_ ex, he would've been pissed.

Looking over at the bathroom door, Hyde figured he had at least twenty minutes before Jackie got out. His mind weighed all of his options, the benefits against the negatives. If he didn't call Jessica, she could take it wrong and do something spiteful. Not that she would, but it was something he would do, and his concern grew from there and from experience. But then again, if he called and Jessica heard Jackie in the background, it was over. And part of him didn't want Jackie to know he was calling her. He wasn't sure why he should feel guilty calling his own girlfriend, though. Hyde shook his head and got up. "Hey, Jackie!"

"What?!"

"I've gotta make a phone call, so don't make any noise, OK?" God, he hoped she understood. "I'm going to call Jessica," he clarified and shut his eyes. Maybe he should go to the other room...

"Oh. Yeah, OK! Don't worry," she yelled back while waves of emotion jolted her heart. The soaking wet brunette dropped her head back and let the hot water massage her chest as she closed her eyes to think.

Jessica _was_ his girlfriend. Of course, he would call her. He wasn't going to be home tonight, and she would wonder why…

Jackie straightened up. "Oh, my God." Rinsing her hair as quickly as possible, she cut her shower short and jumped out, wrapping a towel around herself before throwing another down by the door and dropping her body to the floor to eavesdrop. Would he tell her where he really was and who he was with? Were they really fighting as he had claimed?

"… _Look, I'm sorry, OK. I should've told you_." Then there was silence. Hyde was either listening or he was whispering, she couldn't tell, so she strained harder to listen, pressing her ear directly against the thin door. _"So, you're not going to talk to me then?"_ he said next and then sighed curtly. He sounded frustrated to Jackie, but not angry. _"Look, I miss you. Can we just stop this? I wasn't … I did … I tried but you fuckin' hung up on me! … Yesterday morning, right after it happened … No, I don't … Yeah … Hopefully … Yeah, I know. Me, too … I'm OK … Probably, and that's why I said I'm sorry … No, you just sounded like you didn't want to see me … And I do, OK … Yeah … Hey … You still mad at me?"_

At that last sentence, his words uttered so gently across the line, Jackie felt her eyes well up with tears that burned unusually warm. When he was hers, he had never reacted that way during a fight. Not that she remembered, anyway. He had rarely even cared when she was angry or upset with him, except after he had cheated, when he was worried about losing her. Closing her eyes, Jackie rested her head. But still, Jessica didn't know about that. This wasn't about cheating. This was something else. This was him caring about her feelings and their relationship. He wasn't on the phone, telling her to lower her standards or barraging her with 'I don't knows'.

He was just… talking.

So why did it bother her so much?

" _No,_ _I know … I miss you, too … Yeah … What …"_

Her reddened eyes to the ceiling, Jackie realized that she had never heard those words leave his lips before. 'I miss you.' Never once had he missed _her_. Only her nickname for him. That was all he would admit to anyway. Maybe he had missed her, a few times, she guessed, but he never said it. Not once. And everyone knows it's the words that count, especially anyone who ever had a boyfriend like Steven Hyde. Sometimes, the words meant everything.

" _What? … I didn't. I was just saying that … No … Jess, I swear. I haven't seen her since Halloween … Come on. You know she irritates the hell out of me … I can't stand her … Jess, that was eight years ago …_

"Five," Jackie growled angrily, her throat tightening. "It was freakin' five, you bonehead."

" _Baby, I only said that to piss you off … I don't know … Cause I'm a dick, OK. What do you want me to say?"_

"Well at least you got _that_ right," Jackie muttered, wiping her eyes, pissed off at the foolish crush she had on him. Prior to Halloween, she had been over him, not even thinking about him unless someone brought his stupid name up. Colin had her whole heart and then, somehow, in one night, Hyde barged in and kissed some of those old feelings back to life, like Prince Charming without all the money, titles, and charm. But to him, still, she was nothing, and all that night did was take her back to that dark place where Steven Hyde could make her cry. Colin still had her heart, but Hyde was consuming her mind, and that was a bad, bad thing.

So, right there, on the bathroom floor, Jackie decided that enough was enough. But as she started to get up, she heard Hyde laugh quietly and pressed her ear back to the door.

" _Yeah … No … Uh, tomorrow … I am … Come on. Not tonight … Fine. Kiss … Bye."_ She heard him hang up and dropped her head to the floor. He loved her, and Jackie wondered again, how in the hell did Jessica get him to behave that way? But then a thought struck her. He never said 'I love you.' Almost immediately, though, she shook off the observation. He probably just forgot. He probably said it all the damn time.

Her spirits renewed, Jackie stood up and dressed, turning on the fan to defog the mirror so she could put her make-up on, make herself look amazing, and then make her ex-boyfriend wish he'd never been born...

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

The alarm clock read 9:07, and it suddenly occurred to Hyde that Jackie was still in the bathroom. He, himself, had been slumped against the headboard of the bed, staring into the empty space between his ankles and thinking about the nightmare he was currently living in. Never in his life had two women controlled his mind so seamlessly. One chick was a handful at any given moment, but two, two was brain damaging.

There was Jessica on the one hand, beautiful and sweet and foolishly in love with him. When she was talking, there was only her, no one else mattered, and together they had a language that no one else could translate. She understood him, and comforted him, without him having to say a word. And with her, he was content to simply stay home and lay for hours, watching TV and kissing her until their lips were swollen.

The thought made him smile. Truth be told, it was entirely possible that he loved her, and it was hard to imagine his life without her anymore. Before her, he had been lonely, and then she came along and eased him when he was restless, reassured him when he wasn't so sure, and loved him when he didn't deserve it, making him want so badly to be faithful and worthy of that love.

But he wasn't, and it was why he felt guilty and compelled to make it up to her. Theirs, up until Halloween, had been his only untainted relationship. It was the one thing he hadn't screwed up. But now, it was like all the others, corrupted and flawed.

And that was just the one hand.

On the other, there was Jackie. Hyde shut his eyes and exhaled in frustration. She was even more beautiful and sexy and so god damn invigorating. He felt alive with her. But when she was talking, he wanted to kill her. The two of them spoke two totally different languages and yet, somehow, she understood him. Always had. And he was beginning to think that he understood her, too. That was new. There were so many other new things he was noticing about her, too, things that he had never discerned or experienced when they were young. She was passionate and loyal and when she kissed him, strange things happened inside his heart. New things. Old things. All felt incredible.

Truth be told, he still had feelings for her, but he knew that they could never be together, because together, they were explosive, and not always in a good way. But ironically, she, the girl he had grown up hurting, had been the first to take away his pain. She had believed in him when he was worthless, moved him when he was unmovable, loved him when no one else would and tonight, she stood by him, even after he had abandoned her years before. A part of him couldn't tolerate another minute without her. That part wanted to barge through the bathroom door and apologize for every screwed-up thing he had ever done and kiss her until she took him back. Another part of him had accepted their fate years before and let her go, determined to move on.

It all seemed so cut and dry, and yet, he was conflicted. Both girls were so different that it was hard to compare them, but, at the same time, they were alike. Jessica let him be himself. Jackie expected better. Jessica didn't push him, not much anyway. Jackie pushed him every step of the way. But both had given him everything they had without asking for much in return and both knew how to lull him with the sweetest and softest of kisses.

Suddenly, thoughts of Jackie's gentle kisses from earlier took over his mind, and he closed his eyes. "Damn it," he muttered as he continued to sulk on the bed. Why was he even thinking about her? He had a girlfriend, one that he was pretty sure he could love. So why was he thinking about Jackie like she was an option? Frustrated, he pressed his palms against his eyes. The fucking confusion even had him confused. He was with Jessica, now, and risking that would be another mistake. He had let someone he cared about go once, way too hastily, because he was thinking with his dick and every one of his deep-seated insecurities. And now he was doing it again, running when things were getting too serious. That's what this was.

Right then, the bathroom doorknob clicked, and Jackie emerged, red eyed and headed straight for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To the bar."

"Jackie…"

"Don't talk to me, Steven."

"Oh, man, you've been crying." Hyde shot up from the bed.

Jackie's hand shot out. "No, I haven't."

"Hey, I _had_ to say that to her, okay," he said, wedging himself between the door and her body as he searched out her eyes. "Come on. What did you expect me to do? Tell her about us? Break up with her because you and I made out a couple times?"

Jackie scrunched her face. "No. But…"

"Look. What happened with us was a mistake. I thought we already decided that."

Taken aback, Jackie furrowed her eyebrows. "So, you do regret it."

As she waited for his response, Hyde forced himself to decide. "Yeah… I regret it," he said rather adamantly and decided that all thoughts of her would cease from that point on. They had to. "I wish it never happened, Jackie. All it's done is complicate everything."

Her heart twisting painfully without her permission, Jackie shook her head at him. "Then I can't be around you anymore, Steven. I…" Her eyes fell to the floor, heavy from embarrassment and her decision to be honest with him. She was in control now. Not him. "I don't regret it. And ever since that night, I can't stop thinking about you, nor do I want to. I really don't. I _love_ Colin. I swear I do. But, for some reason, right now, I want _you_. And I _hate_ myself for it."

All Hyde could do was stare at her, surprised and a little intimidated by her candor. "You're… You're just mixed up because we slept together. Chicks, you know, they always get all clingy from it." He was thinking back to every chick who had cried to him after they had had sex, thinking his attention had meant something, each thinking that _she_ had meant something to him. And apparently, Jackie was no different.

"So, what's _your_ excuse then?" she asked him.

"My excuse for _what_?"

Curiously, Jackie stepped toward him. "For how you've been acting."

"How have I been acting?" he asked, trying his best to act as if her close proximity was having no effect on him whatsoever. But she saw through it.

"Come on, Steven," she pushed, stepping closer with that expectant look that always made him nervous. "You've been thinking about me, too. Haven't you? I can see it in your beady little eyes."

Glancing at her lips, only inches from his, and feeling her hands on his belly, Hyde realized that the already minimal control he had was fading fast and quickly stepped around her to get away. "Go back to the bar, Jackie."

Jackie followed him, refusing to let him off that easy. "No, just tell me the truth for once, Steven. Come on, you pride yourself on being this _honest_ guy who can't tell a lie like Abraham freakin' Lincoln, yet, you're the biggest liar I know."

"That was George Washington."

"Whatever!"

"What do you want me to say?" Sitting down, Hyde turned up his palms in bewilderment. "What the hell's any of that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're brutally honest when it's going to hurt someone else, but when it might hurt _you_ , you're a big, fat, liar, liar pants on fire."

At that, he just shook his head and sat back against the headboard, tucking a hand behind his head and turning on the TV. Two minutes in, and he was already tired of her shit. "Just get the hell out of here, Jackie. This discussion is over."

"The hell it is." Jackie snatched the remote from his hand and turned the TV back off. "Admit it. Admit that you think about me. Because I know you do."

"Oh, do you?"

"Yes."

Hyde huffed. "Well, you're wrong. Because I don't."

She was quiet for a moment. "Just tell me you that you haven't thought about us, Steven, and I'll drop it."

Screw it. He needed to do this. It was the only thing that would make her stop… that would make _him_ stop. Looking up, Hyde fixed a sincere gaze on her, speaking slowly so she would understand. "I don't _ever_ think about us, Jackie. It was just sex. Let it go."

Pain and disappointment spread over her features as he spoke; causing him to turn away once he was finished telling his third lie of the night. Jackie, on the other hand, kept her disbelieving eyes on him. "So, I was just another one of your easy lays. Is that what you're saying?"

Her voice was gentle but intense as she spoke, and Hyde shut his eyes, his body and mind fatigued from the entire Jackie situation, from Jessica, from Leo. "Jackie, just go."

"Gladly," she huffed as she tossed the remote onto his chest and briskly walked out the door, slamming it shut.

Hyde remained still for about thirty more seconds, staring back at that same empty space between his ankles, before hurling the remote control across the room. "Damn it," he barked as he got up, grabbed his coat and walked out, too. He wasn't going to let her hang out in downtown Chicago alone. He may have done it back in '79, but this was '84 and things were different. He was different.

* * *

 **Mingles Pub**

Jackie stormed inside the crowded tavern and stalked up to the bar like she owned the place. Claiming a stool, she slapped the bar twice, having seen it in a movie once, and waved Carol over. "I'm going to need a lot of shots, Carol, and fast."

The older woman strolled over smiling. "Well, I'm surprised to see you back here, tonight." Noticing the look on Jackie's face, she tilted her head. "Oh, boy. What's the matter with you?"

"Well, apparently, I'm not blonde skank with three different kinds of VD." Jackie made a snotty grimace. "I hate men," she added capriciously. "All of them."

Carol grinned, slightly amused, a little curious, but more than willing to appease a scorned woman. "What's your poison?"

"Huh?" Jackie asked dumbly.

Carol laughed. "What do you want to drink?"

"Oh. Um, something strong that won't make me puke."

"Something strong that won't make you puke' coming up." Carol went straight for a bottle of Southern Comfort. "Now, what on earth happened to you in the last hour that's got you so upset?" she asked as she poured. "That man of yours being an ass?"

"Hyde is _NOT_ my man." Jackie gripped her shot as Hyde walked up behind her, just in time to watch her angrily shoot back the amber liquid. "He is an ass, though. God, I hate him!" Wilbur's wife raised her eyebrows at Jackie, then flipped her eyes to clue the angry brunette in to who was standing behind her.

"Hey," Hyde said softly near Jackie's ear. "I thought we said we weren't going to drink."

"Yeah, and you said you would be a nice guy," she retorted, not bothering to look at him. "Promises get broken, Steven. _Get over it_. I did." She smacked the bar again. "More poison, Carol!"

* * *

Exasperated by the night's turn of events, Hyde spun her chair toward him angrily. "What the hell is it you want from me, Jackie? I didn't—"

Jackie raised a finger. "Stop right there." The brunette looked at Carol and raised her arm high, pointing at Hyde. "And bartender, could you please tell this lying, cheating, _stripper-loving_ bastard that I'm not interested in his sexual advances. Thank you." After giving Hyde a haughty smirk, Jackie chugged her shot and hit her palm to the bar again. "Another, Carol!"

Hyde rolled his eyes and sighed, knowing he had that coming. "Come on, Jackie. Can we please just talk for a minute?" His hand came to a rest on her hand, a gesture that, hours before, would have been accepted, but now, she yanked it away.

"Don't _touch_ me," Jackie practically growled with a charged-up hate in her eyes that shocked even him. Her usually soft features turned hard as her 'Steven' walls flew up around her. "Don't you touch me _ever again_."

"Jackie…"

"I think maybe you should go," a nearby patron, a woman, interrupted sincerely. "She's made it quite clear that she doesn't want to talk to you."

Carol nodded when she noticed that Jackie was on the verge of tears, struggling to hold up her heavy walls of defense. "Yeah, Wilbur's right over there, honey. Jackie will be fine here with us."

Hyde glanced around. The entire bar was seated with women, all of whom were eyeing him as if he were some unwelcome predator. Turned again to Jackie, he realized that she was going to let them. She wouldn't even look at him. "Fine. I'll be over there if you need me," he told Jackie crossly, then walked off.

Once he was gone, Jackie's defense collapsed. "God," she said, dropping her head on the bar. "I keep doing this to myself."

"So, you just found out that he cheated on you, honey?" one of the women asked.

"No, that was a long time ago, when we _were_ dating. I was just throwing it back in his stupid, running-off-whenever-things-get-tough, whore-loving face." Hearing the absurdity of her statement, Jackie burst out into a slight laugh as the women smiled and laughed, too.

"Good girl," one said. "You stand up for yourself."

On the other side of the bar, Hyde walked up on a hand of poker already in progress. "Hey."

"Hey, Hyde," Wilbur responded, never looking up from his hand. "You got banished from the bar, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"Yeah, that happens a lot around here. We're outnumbered. Have a seat."

"So, what'd you do?" Tommy asked him as he folded his hand. "I'm out. Call her mother a bitch? Tell her she looks fat in those pants, what?"

Hyde sat down and looked around the table. "I, uh, I married a stripper five years ago," he clarified with a doomed nod.

There were pained grimaces all around the table. "Ooooh."

Hyde took a deep breath. "Yeah…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

Jaws dropped in pure shock as nine women gasped. "He stayed with her?"

Sadly, Jackie nodded her inebriated head and popped a maraschino cherry between her lips. "He sure did."

Janet, a woman of about fifty, straightened up and looked around. "Let me get this straight. You practically beg him to just say that 'maybe' you 'might' get married 'someday,' and he wouldn't do it…" Jackie shook her head to the negative while the woman continued. "But then, just a few weeks later, he marries a stripper from Las Vegas?" Everyone stayed quiet, waiting for her answer. There had to be something missing from the story.

"That's exactly what he did," Jackie sneered, still a little stunned that these women actually wanted to hear her story, and seemed to even care, when her own friends hadn't.

"But you said he knew that you hadn't slept with Michael," Carol added, not following. "And he stayed with her anyway?"

Jackie nodded, starting to feel the burn of tearful rage creep into her sinuses. This was all so embarrassing to admit. Being tossed aside for some skuzzy tramp. It wasn't one she told at parties. Nobody knew except the necessary and trusted few.

The angry tears pressed, but Jackie held them at bay. "I sure know how to pick 'em, don't I?"

"Oh, honey, you can stop anytime," one of the more observant ladies said. It was subtle, but they were all starting to notice that the pretty, dark-haired girl looked exhausted and far too sad for someone so young. But, to their surprise, she shook her head, because although her eyes were drowning in saline and her chest sat heavy with that old ache, she wanted to go on. It felt good to let it out, something only Fez, and later, Brooke, had taken the time to let her do.

Jackie took a cleansing breath and allowed a couple of stubborn tears through. They felt good and warm as they dosed her body with endorphins that dulled the pain, allowing her to continue. "No, see, Michael and I told him that nothing happened here, but I don't think he ever really believed it." In that moment, Jackie searched out Hyde and found that he was watching her. A hand of cards was fanned between his fingers, his eyes gentle. She even thought she saw remorse there. "He was so angry back then…"

 _October, 1979_

" _Ricky! Ethel was just up here and she made me so darn mad…"_

 _Her eyes glued to the TV, Jackie smiled as she sat curled on the basement couch, waiting for Fez to pick her up. It was a Tuesday, in the middle of the afternoon, and she felt safe, knowing that Hyde would be at work and that the hooker was probably with him. But just as Lucille Ball began to cry, Jackie heard footsteps on the stairs and cursed herself for being so stupid._

 _"Oh, my God."_

 _It was Wednesday._

" _Sam, don't start this crap again, I…"_

 _Hyde stopped talking, and Jackie cringed because she knew why. He had seen her on the couch and chose to maintain his and Sam's perfect marital facade, the one he had created for her eyes only. Everyone else knew that they fought a lot; but everyone, including her, also knew that they fucked each other even more. It was why she hated this basement now. There was no more laughter, no more Michael, no more Eric Forman, and no more innocence, only Hyde and his whore, and the sex that he loved to throw in her face. She had heard them once, a few weeks prior, panting and grunting, flesh smacking flesh, vile and rough, while Sam pleaded with him to fuck her harder and, going by the deafening, ridiculous screams that followed, he had complied. Jackie ran home to throw up and then hysterically sob herself into a practical coma while Fez rocked her back and forth to sleep. But that was nothing compared to this._

 _Never taking her eyes off the TV, Jackie prayed that they would just go straight into his bedroom so she could make an exit with what was left of her dignity. But they didn't. Instead, they both sat down on Hyde's chair, her on his lap, and acted as if she wasn't there at all. At first, she was glad, but that changed when Sam began to suck on his earlobe and rub at the bulge in his pants. Frozen and horrified and suddenly feeling completely invisible to the world, Jackie fixed her eyes on Ricky Ricardo, but there was no more noise coming from his mouth, no more laugh track, no more laughs. She should just get up, she thought to herself, walk out the door and never look back. It was all gone anyway. There was nothing left to even look back at._

 _Something made her look over, though. But rather than being the observer she thought she was, she was the one being watched. Cold, blue eyes stared back at her, haunted and pained, and unblinking until his eyes closed briefly out of reaction to what Sam was doing to him—making him hard. Jackie looked at the thick shape in Sam's hand and back up at Hyde. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted him to see what he was doing to her. For a moment, he looked miserable, remorseful even, but then his eyes dulled, turning vacant as Sam continued to kiss him. They narrowed a bit on her, though, and it was then that she felt a warm tear streak down her cheek, a tear that didn't seem to faze him at all._

 _From that point on, her body felt like it was disengaging from the room. It hurt so much and all happened too fast for her to look away when she should have. Her eyes were still glued to his when Sam's hand landed on his cheek and turned his head. And, knowing that she was still watching, Hyde kissed Sam as if she were the most desirous thing he'd ever touched, pulling the metaphorical trigger on whatever it was that he and Jackie had ever had. Because if it wasn't dead yet, he kicked it, aimed his weapon—Sam—and pulled the trigger, killing it forever as he and his whore laughed and laughed._

 _In the next moment, Jackie's body returned to her control, and she walked out of the basement and all the way home, not to throw up or cry against Fez's chest, but to lay on her bed and stare at her ceiling as runaway tears washed her hardened face clean…_

* * *

"Well, it's Reagan for another four years," Wilbur declared angrily and threw down his crappy hand as his wife walked up with a tray full of beers. "Hey, baby. Can you believe that? Reagan won by a landslide."

"The glasses need washing," she said in response, and he nodded. "OK, boys. Another round." Carol placed a frosty, cold mug of Budweiser in front of five of the six men at the table, stopping at Hyde. "And for the stripper lover…" She placed down a glass of warm, watered down Kool-Aid and a bowl of caramel corn with a sardonic smile. "From all the ladies at the bar."

Confused, Hyde looked up to see Jackie wave and give him a snotty smile. "Choke on that, Hyde."

"Oh, man," Tommy shockingly chuckled. "What the _hell_ did you do?"

Hyde sighed, dreading the long night ahead. "I woke up this morning…"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **Mission: Impossible, circa 1978**

* * *

 _September 2, 1978_

 _12:27AM_

 _It wasn't Hyde's favorite position, nor one he was very proud of, but it was getting the job done, stealthily and quietly, and taking him where he wanted to go. Resting on all fours, he stretched up and peeked over the Pinciotti couch at a sleeping Bob._

" _That a Bob," he muttered, crouching back down when Donna's dad grumbled and rolled over. Damn it. That was close. Just nine or ten more feet, he estimated, and began to crawl, past the door, until he finally reached the stairs and stood, slapping his hands on his pants while he looked up at the second floor with a grin. All those years of B & Es had paid off. It's why good girls love bad boys. They could sneak in undetected._

 _With his tongue slung out of his mouth like a menacing child, Hyde ran up the steps in twos and stopped at Donna's door, pushing it open carefully. The redhead was sound asleep in her bed and the brunette—he smirked—lay in wait._

" _Steven," she whispered happily. "Oh my God. You're crazy!"_

" _Shh," he hushed as Jackie giggled and reached out to him. Quietly, he moved to her cot, gripping the edges so he could lower his body over hers, and stopped only when their lips connected in a hungry, impatient kiss. At this point in his life, he had been unable to get enough of her and after almost three months apart and an entire summer without sex, he was raring to go._

' _Freakin' Donna', his brain cursed as Jackie's tongue teased his over and over, why couldn't she have just left for a couple of days? He had been looking forward to getting Jackie in the redhead's bed that night, but here they were instead, on another god damn cot. But it wasn't so bad, he decided. Beneath him, Jackie seemed to be starving for his mouth while her legs spread wide and her agile hips rolled, increasing the delicious friction between them. "God, Jackie. Come on," he whispered huskily as they kissed. "Let's go somewhere."_

" _Where?" she pouted, letting her body go limp, "Everywhere we go, one of those dumb asses shows up. It's like they're all part of a plot to keep us from doing it."_

 _His eyebrow arched. God damn, she was hot when she was conspiratorial and pissed off. It meant only one thing to him at that moment: hot, angry, paranoid sex. " Let's go," he insisted. "Wrap your legs around me."_

 _Jackie did and, with a mischievous grin, distracted him again with her tongue as he picked her up. "Jesus, Jackie," he groaned a little too loudly when he settled her body on his hips and felt her pressure rest on the part of him that had been aching for her for months. "I can't take it anymore. We've gotta find somewhere."_

" _Then let's go," she panted in between their frenzied kisses. "Move."_

" _To where?"_

" _Anywhere."_

 _He took a step with her but froze when Donna grumbled and turned._

" _Just go," Jackie whispered._

 _But before he could, the redhead sat up. "What the hell are you two doing?"_

 _Hyde's eyes widened. "Uh, Uh…"_

" _Great job, Steven," Jackie said, rolling her eyes before turning to her roommate. "We're going to have sex, Donna. Somewhere in your house. So just…Go back to sleep."_

" _Whatever. Just stay away from the kitchen," a half-awake Donna ordered and plopped back down on her bed, rolling over instantly._

 _Jackie narrowed her eyes._ " _Of course, it would be all about food with her," she scoffed, then smiled at Hyde. "Let's go, baby."_

" _Where?"_

 _At that simple question, the beautiful, young brunette in his arms grinned evilly and pressed her forehead to his. "The kitchen."_

 _Through his awe, Hyde smirked. "God, I missed you…"_

 **November 6, 1984**

 **10:39 pm**

 **Chicago, Illinois**

 **Mingles Pub**

What is it, again, that they tell a man when he's about to go into battle, or off to war, or to the mall with his girlfriend? Anywhere, really, where life and limb are continuously threatened by an embittered enemy - What is it they say? 'Take care of yourself, son.' – 'It's going to be dangerous over there.' - 'Don't be a hero. Just bring yourself back alive.'

Yeah.

Standing with his back against a forest green wall near the bathroom hallway, Hyde pushed his memories of Jackie aside to consider those very gems that had so wisely been passed down to him only minutes before.

'Don't be a hero out there, man. Just bring yourself back in one piece,' Rich had uttered, accompanied by a pat on the back.

'Take care of yourself, son,' Wilbur so wisely said. 'It's brutal out there.'

'We'll cover you,' Tommy had promised. 'Unless you get caught, kid. Then you're on your own.'

Nervously, Hyde scanned the area around him again for any hint of perfume, the clackity-clack of heels or the jingle of a purse full of crap but found that the enemy was not within range. Still, his foot was tapping furiously and his hands were clammy as hell. God damn it. This was ridiculous. He felt like an idiot. But it was the only way, he thought as he made a run for it, tucking himself into the bathroom hallway, still unseen.

Phase one of 'Operation Kool-Aid Blows' was a success, and Hyde stuck out his tongue in celebration. These chicks couldn't beat him. He grew up poor, the equivalent of Navy Seal training for the civilian world. They had nothing… except for all the damn beer. After waiting impatiently for another minute, he heard a toilet flush and the sink start, then a minute later, the door opened. "Jackie," he blurted, stepping in front of her. "Hey."

"No." His mildly intoxicated ex-girlfriend raised a hand to him. "I refuse to speak to you, Steven."

"No, I know. But do you think," He looked around and stepped closer to her, nearly pinning her against the wall. "Jackie, come on. I'm starving and could use a beer."

Studying his desperate eyes for a moment, Jackie sighed and folded her arms, willing to hear his case. It was clear, at first, that Hyde was bewildered by her silent response, but eventually, he caught on. "Uh, okay. Um… All I had today was cold pizza, and that potato and half of a soggy funnel cake."

Jackie sneered. He was _way_ off and obviously Jessica wasn't doing her job as a woman properly. The boy was rusty. _"And?!"_

"And…" he attempted with a struggling frown before the light finally went on in his head. "Oh! Oh! And uh… Man, you look really hot tonight. Definitely the hottest chick in Chicago. No! In all of Illinois," he corrected and then put on an annoyingly arrogant grin. "Sizzling hot."

Jackie's arms fell to her sides anyway. _All_ of Illinois? Damn, she couldn't argue with that. "Fine. I'll tell them to let you have _one_ beer and some food. But then you stay away from me."

A frown came over him. "So, what, you're just not going to talk to me at all now? Don't you think we should…"

Hand up, Jackie stopped him again. "No, I don't. We spent many, many years _not_ talking, Steven. And you know what I'm realizing? It was _fabulous_ ," she spat and moved to walk away, but stopped. "And if you want a slice of pizza, you bonehead, just come over and get it. They're not going to make you starve."

Hyde grimaced. "Yeah, they are. You made all the broads in this place hate me, and I'm not going to just leave you here alone, especially while your smashed," he said, flipping his hand at her with irritation, or maybe it was jealousy. "So, I'm stuck here, being called 'Stripper lover' and refused drinks."

Try as she might, Jackie could not avoid the grin that took over her entire face. "They gave you Kool-Aid," she snickered. "And caramel corn. I don't even know why you're complaining."

Hyde stared at her, not amused in the least. "So, this is funny to you?" Seeing the angry look that sat on his bruised face, Jackie fought harder to keep her smiles at bay. She had seen him like this before. His arms were folded, his face stern, his lips were pinched tightly, forcing him to breathe through his nose. He was pissed, and she couldn't help but chuckle. "You know what? Forget it. I'm not going to stand here kiss your ass all night, if that's what you're thinking." He started to turn around.

Jackie's guilt finally caught up with her, and she had to laugh again as she grabbed his arm to stop his retreat. "I said I'd tell Carol to let you have some beer and pizza. Just come up and get it. And they don't hate you. They're just pissed off for me… at all the stupid crap you've ever pulled."

Growing angrier, Hyde dropped his arms and took a defensive stance. "Damn, Jackie. Why does the whole freakin' world have to know our history?"

All she had to offer him was a shrug for an answer, making it worse.

"So, what are you saying?" he asked. "That I'm just never going to be able to live it down. I'm going to be the 'pig that married the stripper' for the rest of my life?"

Unsure of what to tell him, she just shrugged again. She had no idea. Maybe. Maybe not.

"See, _this_ , right here, Jackie, is why I called Jessica. This is why you and I should have never started this crap up again… Don't you get it?" he tried to finally explain. "I haven't screwed up with her yet. And she doesn't ever look at me like I'm a piece of crap."

Stunned, Jackie's brow furrowed. She was a little staggered by how serious he was being _and_ by his mention of the two of them. They had started something? "Steven, I don't look at you like that. I just…" Jackie stopped, relaxing her expression. Maybe she did. "I don't know, I guess, maybe, the Sam situation still makes me really mad."

"You said you were over it."

Confused, Jackie corrected her statement. "And I am. I just…"

"Then quit talking about it."

At that, Jackie's jaw clenched. _"Fine."_

"Fine." Narrowing his eyes, Hyde shook his head as they glared at each other, knowing that the scorn on her face would never change. He was the 'Stripper-lover,' the dirtbag that abandoned her for a whore… for life. He watched her eyes narrow, too.

"I said _fine…_ _Hyde,"_ she growled. "Now get out of my way."

 _Hyde._ Of course, he thought as he stepped to the side. "Fine."

"Good," she retorted with her back still against the wall.

"Good," he sneered.

"Fine."

Wearing his cockiest grin, Hyde refolded his arms. "You can leave now."

"Ugh! Fine! Just… get your stupid beer and go away," she bit and walked off.

"I will," he called out and watched her entire journey back to the busy bar, completely frustrated with her and yet, somehow, totally turned on at the same time. It was all so fucked up. But once, there was a place, there _was_ a time, when she was forgiving, when _he_ was forgivable, and nothing in the world could stop them, not even Bob…

* * *

… _September 2, 1978…_

 _Looking from left to right and then left again, Hyde used a head gesture to direct Jackie forward across the entryway of the Pinciotti house. Hand in hand, and determined as hell, the two crept as far as the living room and stopped when Hyde raised his fist, stuck two fingers up (translation: the Bob is still on the couch) and pointed down._

" _I am not crawling," she whispered._

" _Shhh!" Hyde gruffly hushed, irritated that she wasn't following his plan of complete stealth. "You're going to blow our cover, Jackie. Now do you want to do it in the kitchen or not?"_

 _Angrily, she looked away and then turned back to him with a nod. So, once again, and with more force than before, Hyde pointed down while she gave a more resolute nod, coupled with a wink._

 _With the mission confirmed, for the second time, Hyde made firm visual contact with his battle buddy and aimed two fingers from her eyes to his (translation: watch what I do), then proceeded to point a single digit at her before thumbing forward (translation: then you follow). To complete his battle plan, Hyde smirked and stuck his finger in the hole formed by the index finger and thumb of his other hand (translation: then I fuck you senseless)._

 _Smirking, Jackie nodded and, this time, it was Hyde who winked before charging ahead…_

* * *

November 6, 1984

10:51PM

Mingles Pub

 _'Cry Baby Cry' by the Beatles plays on the jukebox._

Reclaiming her seat, Jackie let out a frustrated growl and leaned over the bar, grabbing a giant bowl of cherries that she was hoping would mask the nasty taste that Hyde's bullshit had left in her mouth. Through her peripheral vision, she watched his blurred form walk back to the poker table and sit down. Who the hell did he think he was anyway? It was 'why he called Jessica.' Jackie angrily shoved a handful of cherries into her mouth. Why the hell did he think she gave a crap _who_ he called? She scoffed and looked up as Carol took the bowl away from her.

"Honey, I need those."

Jackie's shoulders slumped. "Oh. Sorry. It's just… It's almost like he _wants_ me to be jealous, you know?"

Carol toddled around, cleaning up as the brunette vented, obviously searching for a sympathetic ear to listen. "Jealous of what, honey?"

"Of Jessica," Jackie said and laughed at the absurdity of it, quite feebly in Carol's quiet opinion. "And, I … I am just … I am _not_ jealous of Jessica! The only reason I got mad was because he told her I annoy him and cause … Well, why is he so freakin' nice to her when they fight?! When he was always such a jerk to me! It doesn't make any sense! I'm prettier than she is, Carol."

"Of course, you are, sweetie," the older woman responded, handing the preoccupied brunette her own smaller bowl of cherries. "Now, who's Jessica?"

"His girlfriend," Jackie answered, popping one in her mouth.

"He has a girlfriend?"

"Oh… yeah," she snarled, shoving another fistful of red fruit between her ever-reddening lips. "Did I forget to mention that? He has a stupid, blond girlfriend with perfect teeth."

Carol stopped and grimaced. "So, is she like the other one? The stripper?"

"Jessica? _No,"_ Jackie answered, disappointed. "She's actually normal." Tilting her head to the side, she tried to figure out how to describe the quiet blonde. "In a nutshell, she's gorgeous and went to college… and has boobs," she grumbled, looking down while she cupped her own small breasts. "It's what he likes, I guess."

Carol pouted sympathetically with her new friend. "Sweetie. I'm sure she has nothing on you. But I have to say, I'm a little confused. You and Steven broke up _five_ years ago, right?" Jackie nodded. "-and have barely talked since then," Jackie nodded again. "-but now that he has a serious girlfriend, you want him back?"

"No. No," Jackie corrected. "I don't want him back. I just… I mean, how could I after everything he did?" Mostly to appease herself, she shook her head curtly and affirmed her position. "No. I'm totally over him. And plus, I have a boyfriend… a _really_ great one."

"You do?"

Jackie nodded. "Uh huh."

"Well, honey. If you have a boyfriend … and he has a girlfriend … and you're over him … and he's over you … then … what's the problem?"

The beautiful face on one Miss Jacquelyn Burkhart fell, turning pensive as she went over Carol's question in her head. What _was_ the problem? Not much time, though, did she waste pondering, because the answer scared her to death…

* * *

A Few Minutes Earlier

"So, I take it 'Operation Kool-Aid Blows' was a failure," Wilbur remarked when his young new friend slouched back down in his seat, completely empty-handed—no pizza, no beer, no pride.

"No. She said she'd call off the hit," Hyde explained, still miserable, and grabbed the new hand that was dealt to him. "Thanks… Except I have to go up there and get it myself… and she's more pissed at me now than she was before." He scoffed and tossed two quarters in. "I'm in…This is a nightmare, man."

Thoughtfully, Wilbur shook his head. "Hey, Rich. Don't start yet. I'm going to go get this kid a beer…and some pizza. Screw these broads. It's my bar."

A grateful grin washed over Hyde's face as Wilbur stood. "Awesome, man. Thanks." He raised a fist to his comrade. Looking around the table as the older man took off for the bar, Hyde nodded at the remaining three. "Beer."

All of them returned the happy nod as Tommy sat back in his seat, laughing. "Man, you've screwed up way past the flower zone and moved straight into jewelry hell. At this point, that's your quickest route out of the doghouse, my friend, especially with that feisty girlfriend of yours," he said, gesturing toward Jackie.

"Her? She's not my girlfriend. She's my ex," Hyde corrected and looked around warily at the shocked faces that horseshoed him. "My girlfriend's in Minneapolis right now…What?"

One of the men, Rich, grimaced. "Your ex? She's just your ex?" He slumped back in his seat. "Man. Why the hell are you taking all this bullshit from her then?"

"Have you ever had an ex-girlfriend, man," Hyde asked.

Rich blew out a big breath. "Good point…Damn…Wait. So, then your current chick just lets you hang out with your ex and doesn't care?"

"Uh…no," Hyde answered, "No. If my chick knew that I was hanging out with Jackie, my nuts would be in a vice right now."

"So, I take it she also doesn't know that you're nailing the brunette then," Tommy threw in with a knowing smirk, making Hyde grin warily, quickly turning it into a guilty laugh.

"I'm not…We haven't…Crap," Hyde grumbled, wondering how the hell he was going to maintain the lie to Jessica if these old geezers already had him figured out. "No. She has no clue, man."

Tommy laughed. "I knew it! There's no way a broad can get _that_ pissed if you're not puttin' it to her," he said and shook his head. "Man, you're just asking for trouble. This kind of mess never turns out in a man's favor, and I say that from experience. Just pick one and move on."

Before Hyde could respond, the third man at the table, Jerry, who, to Hyde, sounded eerily like Leo, got his attention with an excited smile. "Hey, if it were me, dude, I'd pick the spunky little brunette you came in with. Woo," he hooted. "She's a hot little thing, man. Looks like a lot of fun, too."

Through the crowded bar, Hyde's smiling eyes searched, and eventually found, Jackie. 'Hot little thing' was a glaring understatement. She was gorgeous, always had been, and… "Yeah. We used to have a lot of fun together…"

* * *

… _September 2, 1978…_

 _From behind the couch, and, after checking briefly to make sure she was all clear, Hyde waved Jackie over. She looked apprehensive at first, but down on all fours she went, anyway, and began to crawl toward him cautiously, her body taking on a shape that transported his mind back to the gutter. Her shoulders rolled like a cat's and her hips followed, causing the tiny nightgown she was wearing to creep up to the small of her back, revealing little white panties to him. Hyde grinned when she arrived. "Now go back and do it again," he whispered, reaching out to cup her face._

 _Without hesitation, she smiled and kissed him, making him forget where they were as he pulled her onto his lap and let his hands slide up her thighs to the thin material that barely covered her. Her skin was so soft and smooth to his touch that when he reached her ass and gently forced her hips into a slow grind over him, he had to make himself stop. "We can't do this right here," he pulled his lips away and explained, glancing back at the couch. "I can't have a hard-on this close to Bob."_

 _Grimacing, Jackie nodded back and backed off of his lap. "Ew," she whispered. "Yeah, let's go."_

 _But while Hyde was busy repeating his silent directives to her, Bob Pinciotti sat up and opened his eyes…_

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

 _'Cry' by Godley and Crème permeates through the crowded bar._

An older woman in her 60s, going by the name of Judy, grabbed her heart while Carol shook her head and made herself a banana daiquiri. "I can't believe that!" Judy gasped. "He was going to kill that boy Chris for you. Because he hurt you. Oh."

"Oh, my goodness, that is so sexy," a younger woman of about thirty commented. "Which one is he again?" she asked Carol.

The female bartender pointed. "See where Wilbur's sitting…"

Looking around, Jackie smiled, basking in all the attention she was getting. It was like high school all over again and the cheerleading squad was asking her about her summer with Steven Hyde, unable to believe that she had actually ditched her pretty-boy boyfriend for the rebel, the bad boy. It made her dangerous and adventurous, and they all clamored for every sordid detail. And when he would look over longingly, the girls would swoon and start up again.

A younger girl, about her age, giggled and scooted up to Jackie at the bar. "Keep going. You guys went into your apartment _and_ …"

"And…" Jackie smiled.

 _June 18, 1982_

 _She had been holding a warm, wet washcloth to her temple, watching as Hyde glared out the window, when the strangeness of the situation finally hit her. He was spending the night. And it was going to be a nightmare. She just knew it._

 _Hyde turned around. "Well he's finally fuckin' gone. I thought I was going to have to go back out there and kick his ass again."_

" _Good," she answered, taking a glimpse at the bloodied cloth before placing it back on her head. "God, I'm going to have a scar now."_

 _Next to her, Hyde sat down, his features teeming with angry signals. Every part of his body appeared tense—his hands, his legs, his jaw, his lips—until the pressure apparently got to be too much and he exploded._

" _Jackie, what the hell are you doing with a guy with that?! Huh?! You live on your own, man! You can't just bring every fuckin' loser in here! You gotta be smarter than that!" Through stunned eyes, Jackie could see that he was pissing himself off more and more with his own rant. "Did that piece of shit hit you before tonight?!"_

" _No. God," she brusquely responded. "I'm not an idiot, Hyde. I'm just, obviously, a bad judge of character."_

" _Obviously," he concurred._

 _Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare judge me. You didn't treat me much better."_

" _What?" he blurted out heatedly. "What the hell are you talking about, Jackie? That guy threw a freakin' remote control at your head! Don't compare me to him."_

" _Whatever," Jackie rolled her eyes and muttered. He could believe what he wanted, but what he had done hurt far worse than what Chris had done. At least that pain would be gone by morning. Beside her, Hyde shook his head and smoothed his hands over his face. The knuckles on his right hand were cut and swollen, and on the left, they were beet red. "Thank you, though," she added sincerely, realizing that he could have hung up on her. He could have ignored her call. But he hadn't. "You don't have to stay."_

 _To that, Hyde sighed and looked over, the anger absent from his face. "Jackie, I'm not going to leave you here alone," he replied and sat back. Awkwardly, she did, too, and wondered what the night had in store for them. Other than a brief conversation at Bob and Midge's reception, and a few vicious burns, they hadn't spoken in over a year. And he was so different now. From what she had heard, he was persistently drunk and spent most of his time with sluts he met at the bar he practically lived at. Basically, they had nothing in common. Not that they ever did. But, now, added to that, they were strangers. What in the hell would they talk about?_

 _Twenty minutes later, Hyde folded his arms. "I'm not wearing those."_

" _Hyde. Your jeans are filthy and this couch is brand new. Put 'em on," Jackie ordered._

" _No," he refused defiantly and pointed a warning finger at her. "I'm not wearing his clothes. And if you freakin' kick me, Jackie, I swear to God, you're on your own tonight."_

" _Well you're not sleeping on my couch with those jeans on!"_

" _Fine," he spat and stalked into her bedroom, returning a few minutes later in only his t-shirt and boxers. And as he did, Jackie just rolled her eyes and pointed at the couch, where the softest blanket and fluffiest pillow she owned lay on top. "Thanks."_

" _Just get under the blanket," she snapped. "I don't need to see your…business." He promptly gave her a cocky grin, and she had to look away or she would smile, too. It was the last thing she wanted. She was supposed to be angry with him._

 _Hyde lay down, and for the next twenty minutes, as he watched TV, they both remained quiet, playing look-away tag until Jackie finally spoke. "I'm really sorry about tonight."_

 _Hyde glanced at her. "Why?"_

" _For bothering you. It's Friday night and you probably had plans," she lured and waited for him to respond. She was curious about his life and was fishing, apparently very badly because he wasn't taking the bait. "You know, with your girlfriend," she added._

" _She's not my girlfriend," Hyde responded flatly, never taking his eyes off the TV. "She's just a friend."_

 _Jackie forced a laugh. "You mean one of those 'friends' you have sex with?"_

" _Yeah, something like that," he muttered impassively, still not looking at her._

 _Jackie sighed and bit at the inside of her cheek. She couldn't help but speculate at what he could possibly be thinking about. Looking at him, though, he didn't appear to be thinking about anything. He seemed so disinterested with everything. Aloof, she thought, rolling her eyes, and wondered if it was his bullshit act or if he really was that numb to the world around him. Whatever it was, he was different. This wasn't the Steven Hyde she had fallen in love with. That boy was long gone, and she tried to figure out who the hell was on her couch._

 _It was immediately after his return from Vegas that his personality had begun to suffer its metamorphosis, changing until, eventually, the man that lived deep inside of him, the soul that only she was allowed to know, her Pudding Pop, her baby, died without saying goodbye. That was how Jackie chose to look at it. It was delusional, she knew, but it had gotten her through the pain in one piece. Because it was easier to mourn his death than to think that he, who she had truly believed to be perfect right down to his fingertips, could actually be a monster inside._

 _Thankfully, Jackie decided, she had missed most of his transformation, but she was pretty sure she knew what happened. She knew him. He was reckless with his freedom and, without anyone there to reel him in when he wandered too far from himself, he got lost. Part of her felt guilty, feeling as though she'd abandoned him somehow._

 _Suddenly, Jackie's thoughts moved to the sharp pain in her head, and Chris finally entered her mind again. He had been so wonderful in the beginning and made her laugh every day, but he also had a temper when he was drunk, and tonight, he was. Pulling her knees to her chin, Jackie began to cry quietly. Even with Hyde in the room, she felt alone, like she was never going to find him, the great love of her life, the man she was going to marry._

" _Jackie." She looked up at Hyde through her tears. "C'mere," he said gently, scooting back against the couch and raising his blanket in invite. "Lay with me." Immediately, Jackie broke into sobs and rushed over to him, dropping her knee down on the cushion and falling into his arms, dropping onto his shoulder all the tears she would ever cry over Chris. His arms closed around her tightly. "Hey. Come on, Jackie," he soothed as she burrowed her face between his head and the pillow. "There's no reason to cry over this. Shit happens, you know, to all of us."_

" _No, it only happens to me," she cried. "I'm such a loser. God! What is it about me, Hyde? Why do all men want to hurt me so much?"_

" _Sweetheart, it's not you."_

 _Not another word left his mouth as she cried against him. Instead, he just held her close and watched TV, she guessed, until her tears were all cried out. In return, she kept her arms coiled around his neck, her face tucked underneath; hiding from the low lamplight that she knew would hurt her eyes. And for a moment, she felt content, even while being sheltered by her worst enemy. It was a temporary ceasefire, a brief truce, a moment in between the firefight to breathe. "Steven?"_

" _Yeah?"_

" _Can we watch Dynasty now?" Jackie felt his chest expand against hers and the resulting breath tickle her cheek. He apparently wasn't a fan, but in the next instant, the channel changed and she heard the snarling diatribe of Alexis Carrington excite the room. "Oh! That's it!" she exclaimed with a smile and flipped over, instantly working to make herself comfortable. She slipped her bare feet between his calves and nuzzled her head into the pillow while Hyde pulled the blanket over her shoulders. "Put your arm around me, Steven," she demanded and then grabbed his hand when it reached her stomach, unabashedly moving it up to her chest. "No. Like this."_

 _Hugging onto his forearm, Jackie lay and watched her favorite show, allowing herself to get lost in the drama of others as Hyde remained quiet behind her._

 _It must have been a mere fifteen minutes later, though, during an onscreen cat-fight, when she felt thick, rough fingers push her hair away from her neck. Her mind immediately returned to the body behind her. The reason for what he did was unclear, at first, but quickly became apparent when his lips found the spot she liked best and kissed her softly. A heavy fog washed over her and Jackie closed her eyes, permitting him to do it again, and again, until his kisses began to intensify and his tongue finally made contact. "Oh God, Steven," she moaned, reaching back to feel his soft curls. "What are you doing?"_

" _Does it feel good?"_

" _Uh huh," she admitted breathily. It felt incredible._

" _Good," he whispered back and pushed all of her hair over the top of their pillow, exposing the sensitive nape of her neck and making her body quiver at the simple feeling of his mouth on her flesh. Chills worried her spine and traveled around her body when his hand began to massage her breast. "God. I missed you so bad," he moaned between kisses, immediately waking her up from her haze._

" _Wait a second," Jackie bellowed, elbowing him and rolling over as he groaned from the pain. "Uh-uh! No!"_

" _Ah! Damn," he complained. "What's the matter?" She studied him carefully, but the only emotions she could find on his face were concern and pain. "What'd I do?"_

" _What's the matter? What'd you do?" she aped scornfully and slapped his chest. "You were going to burn me, again, weren't you?!" Pure anger made her smack him a few more times for good measure and also because it just felt so damn good to hit him…_

Carol and several other women laughed while Jackie just shrugged. "Well, it did. Come on, the bastard had it coming," she added, her serious expression turning into a giggle. "Anyway, so when I finished smacking him, he just looked at me, shocked…"

" _What the hell are you freaking out about?" he asked._

" _Yeah, you wish, Jackie!" she reminded him loudly and moved to get up. But his arms stopped her and effortlessly pulled her back down toward him, holding on tight as she squirmed. "Let me go!"_

" _No." And with his forearm only inches from her mouth, she felt no other choice but to bite down hard. "Ow! God damn it, Jackie! I wasn't going to burn you," he said as he let go of her and rubbed the spot on his flesh now perforated with teeth marks. Jackie sat up and turned to look at him. She wanted to stay mad, but his eyes weren't swimming with the usual glints of anger and hate. Instead, they were downcast with what looked like genuine disappointment. "You didn't have to bite me."_

 _Her shoulders relaxed in guilt while both she and Hyde lingered in silence, waiting for the other to speak. "So, you weren't messing with me like before?" she eventually asked._

" _No."_

 _Jackie waited, hoping for more._

" _Look. I'm sorry, okay," he said quietly, his eyes now full of embarrassment. And beyond all of his scruff, she even thought she saw his cheeks flush pink. "I guess I shouldn't have done that just now."_

" _Why did you?" she asked him. But he only shrugged despondently. "Hyde?" she tried again, but he said nothing. "Steven?"_

 _That seemed to do it. He immediately looked up. "I don't know…maybe…I guess…I miss you," he confessed apprehensively with his gaze falling to his hands. He shrugged again. "I don't know."_

" _You miss me? Steven, you hate me."_

" _I don't… I…" He pulled in a sharp breath when her brow furrowed. "Okay, so maybe I haven't been that civil…"_

 _Jackie put her palms up in complete confusion. "Civil? Steven, you kissed me and then laughed at me when I thought… I thought you..."_

" _I know what I did, Jackie," he interjected and looked up. "Look, I'm really sorry about that, okay. I was drunk and… Okay, maybe, at the time, I hated you, but I don't now." Hyde paused and stared at her, apparently waiting for some sort of reaction, but she gave him nothing. "If you want me to go, I will. But can't we at least talk about it? Trying again."_

" _No, Hyde. We can't talk about 'trying again'," she said, letting all of her old pain rise to the surface, her face revealing all he would ever need to know. "You hurt me too much. You stomped on my heart until I gave up on everything. And you won, Hyde. I stopped loving you, just like you wanted."_

" _But it's not what I wanted," he said sincerely, and she could see it plainly on his face that it was something he just realized._

" _But it's what happened," she said sorrowfully. "You did that." And as Hyde's disillusioned eyes rendered hers immobile, Chris' tears became his and there was no more to say. With unexpected ease, Jackie decided that the one drop she let escape was the last he was ever going to squeeze from her and the sudden sense of independence made her smile. She was truly over him and, somehow, just saying those few, bottled up words, freed her entirely from his grasp._

" _Hyde?" she asked through new lips, wiping her single tear away as she lay back down beside him, and for old time's sake, guided his head to her breast, where he rested comfortably and closed his eyes. "Would you do something for me?"_

" _What?"_

" _Say goodbye to me. Just once. Please… I'll rub your shoulders," she sang temptingly._

 _Hyde grinned and looked up at her, soaking in her every feature for so long that she wondered if he was going to deny her of her unusual request. But then, his lips parted and he shrugged. "Bye, Jackie," he said as if they would see each other in the morning but knowing that they wouldn't._

 _And as Hyde lay his head back down, Jackie smiled gently and gave it a forgiving kiss. "Bye, Steven."_

 _For the next hour, they lay while she rubbed his back and shoulders, scratching at his head and arms and giving to him all that he really wanted, all that he had been needing for so long—just a little quiet affection. And like that, they watched television until, eventually, they both drifted off to sleep, ready to leave the day behind and start a fresh one in the morning…_

Carol shook her head, as her heartbroken eyes lay on the young storyteller before her. "That is so sad, honey. All that time, he still loved you."

"No," Jackie said, shaking her head. "He didn't. He was just lonely…and tired.

"No, I agree with Carol," another woman chimed in. "He was still in love with you."

"I think so, too," Judy interrupted thoughtfully. "I'm starting to think that his earlier behavior was just because he was too young to be in love. He wasn't ready for you. And I'll bet it was around that night with Chris that he was finally starting to grow up and, oh, my Gosh, this is just like All My Children."

The younger girl gasped. "It is!"

"Oh, never mind that," Carol scolded, shooing them off before turning to Jackie. "So, what happened in the morning?"

Jackie shrugged. "Nothing. I woke up in my bed and he was gone. He called that night to make sure Chris hadn't come back but that was it. We didn't speak for months. But I heard that after that night, he stopped drinking so much and started hanging out with Eric and Donna more. And from what Donna told me, a few months later, he revamped his store and got a new apartment," she said with a smile. "…and started dating nicer girls, and then…He met Jessica."

"You reeled him in," Carol said, smiling with so much emotion that it triggered the same in Jackie.

"Maybe I did," she responded, her own smile growing.

"So what about you?" the older woman asked. "What happened in your life?"

"Me? _Well,_ a few months later, I got this great job in Milwaukee and moved in with Michael and Brooke until I got my own place. I met Colin about a year later," her joyful expression failing, Jackie threw up her hands. "My life was perfect."

" _Was?_ " Carol repeated and watched sadly as the brunette's face twisted, her head nodding in confirmation of the past tense. "Were you lying when you said you were over him?"

"No," Jackie shook her head. "I was over him, because it wasn't him. But I guess, maybe, down deep, I was always waiting for Steven to come back."

"And did he?"

Peeking over her shoulder, Jackie nodded. Her eyes searched until the crowd opened slightly to reveal Hyde, who was looking at her with a slight smile. "He's right there…"

* * *

A Few Moments Earlier

"I say you choose the brunette," Tommy said assuredly. "I like 'em feisty. And plus, look at her, man." All five men turned their eyes to the bar where the subject of their debate sat talking, the center of attention. "Damn. They didn't look like that when I was your age."

Hyde grinned. They didn't look like that now.

"Alright. I'll admit, she's pretty cute," Rich interjected, addressing his three friends. "But you can't tell him to go for the brunette when we don't know what the other one looks like. Hey," he called to Hyde. "You got a picture of your chick, man?"

"No," Hyde answered, but thinking it over, Jessica's subtle craftiness occurred to him and he pulled out his wallet. Opening it, he shook his head and smirked at what he saw: the single square of a black and white photo strip. She had dragged him inside and begged him to smile. He didn't, of course, but the smile that Jessica wore was laced with mischief, as if she had known all along that this moment would come. "Here," he handed Rich the photo. "My chick."

"Oh, yeah," Rich groaned happily. "I'd pick the blonde."

"Gimme that," Jerry demanded and snatched the tiny square away. "Oh, yeah. She's nice, too. Damn." He glanced at Jackie. "I still say the brunette, though, man." Leaning over to get a look, Tommy nodded.

"The blonde's cute, but the brunette's a real looker," he declared and sat back, taking a quick look at Jackie. "She's the kind of woman a man never forgets. Am I right?"

Hyde's eyebrow arching was all the answer he could offer. _Never._ Damn, he hoped not. Never was a really fucking long time to carry memories like these about one girl…

* * *

… _September 2, 1978…_

 _It's funny how quickly a moment can turn, especially when you're a nineteen-year-old delinquent and your seventeen-year-old girlfriend's surrogate father comes into view at two o'clock in the morning. At the first sign of Bob's trademark fro, a usually stoic Hyde panicked and his heart practically stopped while a beautiful rendition of 'Oh fucking shit, I'm about to die' rang through his mind on a continuous loop. With severe urgency, he grabbed Jackie's head and pushed her face toward the floor while he ducked down beside her._

" _Oh, boy," Bob yawned as he groaned and stood up, stretching out his back. "Boy, oh, boy." Hyde watched carefully for the big guy's next move. Which way was he going to go? Left or right? Crap. As he locked eyes with Jackie, Hyde's brain kicked into high gear and thankfully, she understood when he gestured for her to watch for his cue. This wasn't fun and games anymore, this was no longer about their dream of doing it in the kitchen, this was about the future of fucking in general. And glancing at Jackie's body, there was no way in hell he was being denied of her again. No freaking way in hell. He was going to fuck her, damn it. Tonight! If not for himself, then for every delinquent burnout out there, fighting against the man to nail his hot girlfriend. This was for all of mankind!_

 _Then Bob moved. 'Left, left, left!' his brain screamed as he pushed Jackie to quickly crawl around to the other side of the couch, following close behind and getting out of Bob's view just in time._

 _Half-asleep, Donna's dad toddled over to the bar and poured himself a glass of water while only ten feet away, Hyde lay smiling on top of Jackie. Maybe it was the danger they were in, coupled with how sexy she looked beneath him, that was making him hard but he couldn't resist the urge to push his growing erection hard against her little white panties. He even grinned when she smacked his chest and widened her eyes, unable to move or make a sound. And right when Hyde began to lightly bite at her nipples through her gown, her arms pinned helplessly above her head, Bob headed upstairs._

" _Steven," she quietly reprimanded as he freed her from his grasp. "What if we had been caught, you idiot?"_

" _Then I was going out with a smile," he said as they stood and realized that they were in the clear. "Or at least with a nipple in my mouth," he added through a depraved grin, hardly wincing when she slapped him and kicked his shin with her bare foot, sparking a quick response from him. With complete authority, he grabbed her waist and dropped both of their bodies to the couch, eagerly seizing her lips once again. They had probably only been kissing for about five seconds, though, when Jackie squirmed and slipped out from underneath him, leaving him befuddled. "What the hell, Jackie?"_

" _It's all warm from Bob," she quietly screeched, shivering and shaking off the remnants of Bob's body heat. "Ew!"_

 _Hyde looked down at the couch he was lying on and immediately jumped to his feet. "Uh!" he groaned and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the kitchen. "Damn it. That's what we get for veering from the mission…"_

* * *

 **November 7, 1984**

 **12:11 am**

 _'Fool to Cry' by the Rolling Stones plays on the jukebox._

Anxious, Jackie looked from left to right. "So, what should I do?"

"Well, you shouldn't have slept with him on Halloween for one," another girl her age scoffed.

Sneering, Jackie glared left at her. "OK. First of all, I didn't ask _you_ , did I? Second, I didn't ask what I _shouldn't_ have done. I asked what I should do _now_. There's a difference. Now, go away. Oh, and find another hairdresser. Yours is going blind." She turned forward to take a drink of her daiquiri. Completed insulted, the other girl dropped her jaw and flounced away in a huff.

Carol covered her mouth and swallowed down a laugh. "Okay," she started and took a deep breath. "I think you need to go to sleep tonight, sober up, go home tomorrow, and call your boyfriend."

"You want me to tell Colin that I cheated on him?!"

"I didn't say that," Carol said. "But I think him being gone is making this harder for you. First, I think you need to make up with him, and then just be by yourself for a few days and, without either of them distracting you, figure out who it is that _you_ want."

"But it doesn't matter who I want," Jackie argued. "Steven has a girlfriend."

Carol sighed in frustration. "Honey, if you have no options, then why are you asking me what you should do?"

Tossing her head back, Jackie groaned.

 _Meanwhile, across the bar…_

Rich handed Jessica's photo back to Hyde. "Man, I wish I was this lucky son of a bitch," he told his friends. "Two young, good-lookin' chicks to choose from. 'The blonde or the brunette'? I wish that was my biggest problem."

Hyde shook his head. "No. There's no choice to make. I already have a girlfriend."

"Then what are you doing all the way in Chicago with your ex, man?" Wilbur asked, taking a swig of his beer. "Your friend's in the hospital, your store collapsed, and you go to a science expo with your ex-girlfriend? Why?"

Hyde just stared at him, mouth agape. "I…She needed…But her job…She asked me to come, man."

Tommy grinned. "And you usually jump when broads ask you to go somewhere?"

"No. I just… She was… Man, there's nothing going on."

"Right," Tommy grinned and drawled out, picking up his hand. "Alright, let's get this game going already. I'm down six bucks…"

Slouching down in his seat, Hyde grabbed his cards and stared at his crappy hand, his thoughts, unfortunately, locked on the brunette instead of on the blonde, where they should have been. He glanced up at Jackie. 'Nothing going on' was a lie; he knew it. There was at least _something_ going on. What it was, he wasn't sure. But, if history had taught him anything, it was that everything he and Jackie touched turned to crap and nothing ever seemed to work out in their favor…

* * *

… _September 2, 1978…_

 _The kitchen door swung open and, right away, Jackie attacked his mouth, mashing her lips to his while she frantically worked to undo his belt, electrifying all of his senses at once. But he quickly recovered and returned the frenzied affection as he picked her up and carried her to the sink where he peeled off her nightgown._

" _God, it's so hot knowing we could get caught," she admitted once he bared her flesh and wrapped his lips around one of her newly exposed nipples, moaning his pleasure at the taste of her. It had been so damn long. All summer!_

 _Turning closed eyes to the ceiling, Jackie grabbed his head to bring his mouth down harder against herself. "God, Steven," she whimpered. "I missed this so much."_

" _Me, too," he growled while one strong arm wrenched her straddling body flush against him and the other reached out to turn on the cold water. Without another word, he scooped as much as he could into his palm and doused her warm, ninety-eight-degree chest with it._

" _Ah! Steven! It's cold," she cried out and promptly arched her back, her fingers clutching at his hair, when he began to lick and suck the moisture from her breasts and stomach. "Oh, God," she gasped at the clash of sensations._

 _Her skin was gratifyingly hot as his mouth trailed a path alongside the tiny streams of cold liquid that led to her panties. And while her arms fought to keep her poised over the sink, Hyde hooked a finger around the white material and pulled back small sections as he left sucking kisses on the soft flesh hidden underneath._

" _Take off your pants, Steven," she ordered. "Now!"_

" _Not yet." Instead, he picked her up off the sink and quickly turned around to lay her down comfortably on the island counter. "Relax," he said, planting thick kisses up her thigh. "I'm not done with you."_

" _Steven," Jackie whined and threw her head back, her hips already gyrating as Hyde removed the last stitch of clothing she wore, aside from her lacy white socks. He had barely gotten her underwear down her thighs when they both heard a cough. "Crap," Jackie whispered, reaching out to him. "It's Donna!"_

 _His eyes grew rounder as he yanked her off the counter and ducked…_

* * *

Mingles Pub - 12:34 AM

 _'Cry to me' by Solomon Burke starts to play on the jukebox._

Sitting back in his seat, Hyde looked over at the bar and knew it was time to leave the moment he saw Wilbur's wife raise her eyebrows at him. It was a signal. His ex-girlfriend was being cut off. She was probably drunk and starting to make an ass of herself. He knew because, from the other side of the still crowded bar, he could hear her laughter and see that she was no longer sitting up straight.

Hyde shook his head and laughed.

In short, it was bedtime for the little brunette at the bar.

Hyde slapped the table and stood up. "Well, I think it's time for me to go."

Wilbur laughed as he stood up with him and held his hand out. "Yeah, OK, man. We'll see you tomorrow at the shop. I'll bring the car."

"Awesome, man. Thanks. All of you. You saved my ass tonight. And my van," he added, showing his appreciation in Wilbur's handshake with a small gift, causing the old guy to grin when he checked his palm.

"Cool. Thanks. Hey. You're sure you don't want to come out back, spark up with us?"

Hyde shook his head. "Man, I would. But I should really get drunkie over there back to her room," he said, walking away. "I'll catch you guys later."

With a proud smile, Tommy raised his fist. "Go get her man!"

All of them, in fact, began to hoot as Hyde walked away. "Yeah!"

"Show her who's boss!"

"The blonde!"

"The brunette!"

Smirking, Hyde shook his head and ignored them as he kept walking.

Already halfway off her seat, Jackie practically fell off laughing while Carol glanced at Judy and shook her head. "And Colin got _so_ mad at me! But, you know," she said, turning serious as she grabbed her new friend's hand. "He is _so_ sexy when he's angry. Cause he's not _really_ angry, you know?"

"It sounds like you really love him," Judy commented.

The brunette pouted. "I do."

"So why don't you just go call him then? Tell him that you're sorry for being so hard on him and that you support whatever he decides to do."

Jackie smiled. Her new friend was right. Supporting her boyfriend was what a good girlfriend would do, not cheat and pine for someone else while he sat a thousand miles away, working hard to make her happy.

"That's what I'll do then," Jackie said while she held her hand to her heart. "Thank you so much." Without warning, she threw her arms around Judy's neck. "God, old people really _are_ wise," she exclaimed, pulling away as the older woman frowned.

A few feet away Carol laughed and shook her head. "Judy," she warned. "She didn't mean it like that. She's just drunk. There's no way she would have said that sober."

"Yeah, she would've," Hyde interjected from behind Jackie. "Only it probably would have sounded much worse and insulted your outfit in some way. So be grateful she's drunk." Immediately, Jackie turned in her seat to glare at him.

"Steven… Shouldn't you be off cheating on your girlfriend right now? Or maybe…I don't know…cheating on your girlfriend?" With a proud smile, the inebriated girl turned to her bartender and shrugged. "He's just so good at it, it bore repeating."

Hyde brushed it off. "Alright, Jackie. Let's go."

"No. I'm with my friends," she resisted, glancing up at him ruefully. "Ones who don't try to make me cry."

As their audience watched with bashful curiosity, Hyde spun her chair back toward him and helped her down. "You okay to walk?"

With a sigh of defeat, Jackie nodded. Resistance was futile. Especially with him. If she had tried, he would have just slung her body over his shoulder and carried her out. The truth was, she _wanted_ to go back with him. She was tired and wanted a little bit of his attention. She could at least admit that to herself. Maybe just a 'sorry' from him, and a little cuddling in front of the TV, would help her go to sleep and allow her to wake up in the morning with a fresh outlook.

Jackie said a few, quick goodbyes and then, together, she and Hyde stepped out into the cold November night. It smelled like rain and wet pavement outside, but there was not a drop in the sky.

"You want to watch TV with me?"

"I don't think we should stay in the same room, Jackie," Hyde admitted somberly.

Jackie frowned as they continued to walk. "Why not?"

"Why do you think?"

"Steven, you idiot. It's not like I'm going to throw myself at you. I just want to go to sleep, but I don't want to be alone. Not in there."

"Then you can have my room," he offered sternly. "We'll trade."

"Oh, just forget it," she snapped, picking up her pace and heading straight for room D. "Goodnight, jerk."

Hyde rolled his eyes and chose not to take the bait. She wanted him to follow her, to apologize and make it better. But instead, he just headed for his own room to go to sleep. Maybe it was better if they fought. Maybe it was better that she hated him. He really didn't know. All he did know was that the quicker this night was over, the quicker they could get back to their separate lives.

When Hyde reached his door, he stopped and waited for Jackie to go inside her room. But she only shuffled around a bit, ostensibly dragging out the time, waiting for something, and then began to search her bag for her keys.

Hyde sighed and leaned up against his door. "Jackie."

"I'm fine," she grumbled, pulling out her key with a haughty smirk. "See." Quickly, she found her way inside the familiar room and slammed the door shut, making him exhale in relief as he walked into his own room. Without another thought, he plopped himself onto the bed and shut his eyes. All he could see, though, was her, alone and probably unhappy in the room that admittedly triggered bad memories and dark thoughts for her. It had to suck to be in there. It would have sucked for him. Even he had wanted out after a few minutes. And Jackie, she let things get to her, no matter what she told the world. Though, she never seemed hesitant to tell _him_ when she was depressed or scared or worried. Never…

* * *

… _September 2, 1978._

 _While the tall redhead shuffled in sleepily, Jackie clutched onto Hyde's body for dear life, probably worried that her best friend would catch her in only her socks and panties. Hyde, on the other hand, couldn't help but grin, finding the entire situation funny as hell. But still, he kept his arms wrapped tightly around Jackie's torso, covering her as Donna opened the fridge and pulled out some milk. Grabbing Jackie's nightgown from the floor, Hyde saw the moment as opportunity and scooted around the counter with her still on his lap._

 _"Freakin' Donna," Jackie whispered in his ear. "It's probably her two o'clock feeding."_

 _Hyde smirked, and, as the redhead moved to one of the cabinets to pull out a glass, he quietly shifted them over to the opposite side of the island, closing his eyes when Jackie started to nibble on his ear. God damn it. She was right. This WAS hot. And he was way less worried about Donna. In fact, part of him_ _wanted_ _her to catch them. But, she didn't. As soon as she was finished with her glass of milk, Donna walked out of the kitchen, leaving Hyde and an almost naked Jackie alone again in their snug embrace._

" _God. We're never going to do it," Jackie whined and rested her cheek on his shoulder while Hyde nibbled on hers, leaving tiny bites and kisses that only encouraged his erection further._

" _Come on, she's gone," he whispered and tried to put her back in the mood by slipping his hands into her hair and giving her a slow, languid kiss. But she wouldn't kiss back, not with the same urgency as before anyway. So, with a frustrated sigh, Hyde pulled away. "Jackie, what's wrong?"_

" _I'm sorry, Steven. I just…I can't. I'm scared now. If Bob catches us… He'll be so disappointed in me."_

" _But…You said…" He could see that she was genuinely worried about Bob's reaction. But if pressed, he knew, she would give in. "Crap," he sighed. "It's OK."_

 _Jackie smiled, giving him a gentle kiss before she watched him flip her night gown right side out, and poked her head and arms through the holes when he started to dress her. "I'll come over tomorrow and make it up to you, Puddin' Pop. I promise."_

 _Hyde slipped the gown back down her body, leaving it the way he had found it._

 _"I love you, Steven." Jackie hooked her wrists behind his neck. "And I know that you love me, too."_

 _Hyde studied her for a moment. "How do you know that?"_

" _Because you told me you do. And you can't take it back."_

" _Yeah, and then you told me that you don't," he reminded her._

 _Jackie tilted her head to the side. He could see that she was studying him now. "Did you believe me?"_

" _Yeah," he replied soberly. "Why wouldn't I?"_

" _And now?"_

 _Hyde shrugged. "I don't know."_

" _Oh, Steven," she cooed softly, rubbing his cheek before smacking it and pointing at him angrily. "That's what you get, you idiot."_

" _What the hell, Jackie?"_

 _She ignored his anger. "Oh, and by the way, you need to apologize to me for that skank in the leather jacket… and… if you do, I'll take back what I said."_

 _Extremely hesitant and a little pissed off, Hyde took a long pause. That girl should have known by now that orders weren't the way to make him comply. Trickery, maybe. Shin kicks, definitely. But demands and smacks to the face? No freakin' way._

 _"Now, Steven!" she demanded. "I need you to fix this!"_

 _He hated when she pulled this bossy crap with him. His first impulse was to be defiant, but he had missed her and was sick of fighting with her. "Fine," he answered curtly, dropping his stubborn gaze to her chest. "I'm sorry, OK." He looked back up immediately, though. "But not THAT sorry 'cause I didn't do anything with her."_

 _To his surprise, Jackie's face expressed only confidence. "Oh, I know you didn't. You wouldn't be here if you did."_

" _Wait. How do_ _you_ _know we didn't do anything?"_

 _With a condescending glare, Jackie rolled her eyes. "Hello! Donna! She was a mole, Steven. A plant. A diversion. God, men are so stupid. If you thought I was going to let that date happen without some sort of surveillance then you just don't know me at all." At that confession, Jackie slipped off his lap and smiled, giving him a quick kiss before she stood up. "Love you, baby. Goodnight!"_

 _Hyde sat stunned at the revelation; he was dating an evil genius._

" _Oh! And tomorrow," Jackie added lasciviously, kneeling back down to massage the bulge in his jeans. "You're going to be glad you were a good Puddin' Pop all summer. Really, really glad." Hyde smiled and accepted a slow, deep kiss from her, rapt in a lustful fog by the time she pulled away and stood. "Night, Steven!"_

" _Uh-huh," he muttered and dropped his head back against the counter, closing his eyes as she pranced out of the room. He was already glad._

* * *

 **November 7, 1984 – 1:16 AM**

 **The Evergreen Motel. Room D.**

Alone in the dark was how Jackie sat, too anxious to turn on the lights. She didn't want to see the room in that awful, dull glow of a motel lamp. Not tonight. She just couldn't. That faraway night that he had walked out of her life was the same that she had spent crying until her eyes turned raw, leaving her with only a throbbing headache as Kelso snored on the floor beside her. He had long given up trying to comfort her and eventually fell asleep to her gentle, rhythmic sobs. Back then, she may not have been able to anticipate how far, both physically and emotionally, Hyde would journey from her but, deep down, she had known that he would find his solace in someone else's arms. She had known in her heart the things that quieted him and wept at the realization that lips and fingers that were not hers would soon bear that burden over his skin.

In the present, Jackie moved her head from side to side, shaking off the memory as she removed her boots and pants, leaving her in only the oversized sweatshirt that Hyde had insisted she wear today. Finding some courage, she looked around the room. Maybe it wasn't so bad, she told herself. They had changed the carpet. It was plush now beneath her toes and very clean. Even the bedspread seemed new, she noted as she lightly swept her hand over the soft material. It could have been worse.

Jackie's eyelids had just closed with the slightest sense of relief when there was suddenly a knock at the door.

"Oh, my God," she said to herself, her heart bounding in her chest as she got up and took slow, thoughtful steps toward the door. Just to be sure, she pressed her ear against it inquisitively, praying that it was just Hyde.

 _"Jackie,"_ she heard from outside. _"It's just me. Open the door."_

After pulling her sweatshirt down to cover her underwear, Jackie opened the door a crack to see Hyde standing there. "Hey. I, um," He took a deep breath. "You can sleep with me," he forced out quickly and looked at her again. "In my room, I mean. I can sleep…I'll sleep on the floor."

Happy to see him, Jackie found herself slightly amused by his nervousness and opened the door further to let him inside while she thought over his offer.

Hyde stepped into Jackie's room cautiously, a little unsure of her agenda. But all of his tension settled directly below his belt buckle when she stepped toward the bed in only the baggy, grey sweatshirt that he insisted she wore. He held his gaze on her as she sat and crossed her shapely, tanned legs, triggering immediate fantasies of them being wrapped around him.

He looked away. They were too alone, and he was too damn buzzed to let his thoughts take this turn.

"You know, Steven," Jackie began, stopping to let out a sharp cry when a cold wind blew in and forced her arms across her chest. "Close the door. It's freezing."

Quickly, he shut it. "Hey, are you going to sleep in my room or not?"

"I'm thinking…not," the shivering brunette responded and stood up again. She stepped forward. "I really appreciate that you came back, Steven. But this room isn't as scary as I thought it would be. I think I'll be okay in here."

"Oh," was his reply before taking a step backwards, feeling once again like an idiot who never should have knocked on this damn door. "Yeah, OK." Part of him wanted to laugh at his own stupidity. Instead, he only scoffed and shook his head. He should've known that her big load of 'I'm scared' crap was all an act. "I'll be next door."

As Hyde moved to grab the doorknob, Jackie stopped him with a hand to his forearm. "Hey, Steven?" she asked nervously, her breath sweet with liquor. "What made you come back?"

"I don't know," he said. "I guess I just felt sorry for you, which is my own stupid fault."

Frowning, Jackie moved closer. "Wait. You're mad at me?"

"No. I'm tired, Jackie, and I want to get some sleep and I've already wasted," He looked at his watch, "seven minutes on you. You can add that to the two years I've already lost."

Jackie's mouth fell open. "Why are you being such a jerk all of sudden?"

"Because," he answered tersely. "You drive me up the fuckin' wall with your craziness. First, you spend the whole night pissed at me, crying because you're jealous that I called my girlfriend, and then, you're begging to sleep in my room and now…"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Jackie raised her hand as she stepped closer. "Just stop right there, Steven. I was _not_ jealous. I was mad at what you said about me."

"I had to say that," he said, his voice rising.

"You told her that you can't stand me. You _had_ to say that?"

Hyde huffed in frustration and dropped his head back. She was impossible to deal with, especially when she went off on one her endless tirades. "Yes, I had to say that," he repeated more calmly.

But she wasn't listening. "You said it like you've said it a million times before. Like you've sat there with your precious Jessica and laughed together at how annoying I am."

Hyde scowled. "God, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Where do you come up with this crap?"

Losing her wind, Jackie took a deep breath. "You know, I'll never understand how you could hate me so much. It's _me_ who should hate _you_ , Steven."

"I don't hate you," he grumbled, "for the millionth goddamn time."

"So why did you say that then? Tell me, Steven," she pressed. "Huh? Why?"

Irritated beyond reason, Hyde leaned forward. "Because I had to, Jackie," he shouted at her, louder than he meant to. It had startled her so much that she flinched, almost as if she was bracing herself for a hit. "Damn it." Guilt forced him toward the door. "I need to get the hell out of here. I'm going to bed," he said as he opened the door and let the cold, autumn air back in.

"See. There you go again, Steven. Walking out."

Stopping, he looked up to the ceiling with a sigh.

"Just like you always do," she added angrily. "Except this time there's no Michael to blame your mistakes on."

" _My_ mistakes?" Hyde wheeled around. "You're the one who was about to nail Kelso when I showed up. Don't forget that."

"I wasn't going to cheat on you! But you didn't wait around long enough to find that out, did you? You just left me here alone." Jackie stepped into the moonlit entry to lock eyes with him, exposing watery eyes, but mostly exposing the raw pain she still carried. "So just go ahead, Steven. Walk out on me again. I won't cry myself to sleep this time," she said, drawing in a relieved breath when Hyde stepped forward across the light of the November moon and pulled her weary body toward his in an embrace. "I won't," she gasped against his chest and closed her eyes, resting her head down against the warm spot above his heart, her senses narrowing in on the cadenced thump that she had fallen asleep to many times before, in the darkness, just like this.

 _Thump, thump. Thump, thump…_

"Look. I'm sorry, Jackie," he whispered against her temple. "But that was a long time ago. What do you want me to do about it now?"

"Don't go," was her answer.

It was so simple. Two little words, but they demanded so much. Sighing, Hyde raised his head and lifted one arm from her body to push the front door shut, leaving the two of them still inside. "Okay," he said. "I won't leave."

With her own sigh, one of content, Jackie squeezed him tight and like that they stood, wrapped up each other's arms while her tears dried. As long as history wasn't repeating itself, and as long as they were learning, she could accept any outcome that fate would bring tonight.

"Can I ask you something," she whispered into the quiet room, raising her head and pulling away from him to press her back against the door.

"What?" His eyes followed her movement as she reached out and tucked both of her hands inside the lower pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, pulling him just a little closer.

"Would you change anything?" she asked, quickly finding herself again caught in the rapture of his warmth when he completed the rest of the journey on his own, cocooning her between himself and the door and resting his hands on the cold surface behind her head.

"Yeah," he barely even whispered. "I guess I would."

"What?"

Each took another breath, and throwing his guilt to the wind, Hyde reached up into her hair and lightly pressed his lips to hers, sending her question out into the universe where all the things left unsaid between them patiently waited. His mouth gently coaxed hers open, and when she felt his sweet tongue mingle with hers, the room fell away, forever taking its hurtful past with it.

"Steven," she whimpered past his kisses while the air around them grew charged, laden with all the pent-up lust of the previous week. "Why does this keep happening to us?" His hands moved down her torso and around to her back, bringing their bodies closer as she coiled her arms around his neck.

With each deepening kiss, his urgency grew while Jackie relaxed into him, whimpering the lovely feeling deep into his mouth. Before she knew it, the grey fleece was being stripped from her body, becoming a bundled mess on the floor as his weight forced the exposed flesh of her back against the chilly door. Gasping at the surprise, her arousal heightening, Jackie took his tongue deeper, letting out a sharp whimper when he smoothed his palms over her breasts. As she writhed beneath his touch, his lips abandoned hers to make a path from her neck down to her chest.

"Oh, God, Steven," she keened, thrusting her head back and her breasts out when his mouth closed around a nipple to suck it in, then swiftly release it with a biting, stimulating 'pop.' All the while, his questing fingers brushed over her hips, tracing a line over the thin band of her panties before slipping inside. Rough fingers contoured the soft valley of her sex, and Hyde rose to take advantage of her open mouth.

Her breath coming in rapid pants, Jackie bucked her hips forward and felt her senses bubble up in anticipation, suddenly needing to taste and feel more of him. "Steven, take this stupid thing off," she ordered, pushing him back and yanking his sweatshirt from his body, tossing it to join the pile on the floor. Her eyes grazed over his newly bared chest while her hands followed the same path, worshiping every slight curve. "God, I want you so much," she admitted without hesitation.

Quietly, Hyde reciprocated by seizing her lips again in a brutal kiss. He pulled her body flush against his, causing both to gasp at the smooth, hot sensation of skin on skin, while their hands moved quickly to explore, clutching and pulling and squeezing until no patience remained.

"Now, Steven."

At her demand, Hyde lifted Jackie's legs to wrap around his waist and moved her over to the bed. After laying her down, he had to sit back. He had to see her, his hungry gaze raking over her nearly naked body. "God, you're beautiful."

"Oh, Steven, c'mere," she whispered and reached out to him, cupping his face as she pulled him down into another kiss.

Propped on one arm, he hovered and kissed her, his other hand fumbling clumsily with his own belt.

"Oh, let me do it," she groused, pushing him up as she sat up, too.

Hyde watched Jackie bite at her bottom lip as she undid his belt and kicked off the rest of his clothes when she was done. Lastly, he stripped her body of his last obstacle before separating her knees and lowering himself back down over her.

Jackie gasped when she felt his bare erection settle between her thighs, his weight sinking down on her. The heat he radiated began to saturate, and Jackie closed her eyes, tightening every one of her limbs around this stubborn boy who refused to leave her thoughts. For a brief moment, she hugged him. He was still so new to her senses, but still, just as desired as their last encounter here.

Letting out a smooth exhale, Jackie relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of his lips and tongue as they drifted lightly over her skin, smiling in the knowledge that he had been wanting her, too. She could feel it in every one his kisses. At least they were guilty together.

* * *

"Damn it, Jackie," Hyde whispered while he worked his mouth down her torso, his hands kneading at all the flesh within his reach. "I want you. I can't help it."

When he reached the soft curls at the juncture of her thighs, his own body pulsed with excitement. Pushing her knees further apart, he opened his mouth to taste her, his tongue taking a slow, gentle lap. He closed his eyes to savor the gritty, sweet flavor of her as his hands moved to pin her hips down. Still, she squirmed beneath him, lifting herself to his mouth, searching for more. Letting her suffer a little first, he pressed open kisses everywhere except for the very spot she seemed to want them. But when she whimpered, calling his name so sweetly, so sexily, he finally clamped his mouth down on her and began to suck, wringing a deep moan from her throat.

"Oh, yes." Jackie clutched his hair, drawing his mouth even closer as he brought her nearer and nearer to orgasm.

But just as she was about to come, his mouth vanished.

"Steven!" Jackie looked up, scowling. "Why'd you stop?" Her eyesight was adjusted to the dark, so the smirk on his face was clear as day as he kissed her inner thigh and crawled over her. Unable to hold back her own smile, Jackie grabbed his hips and pulled him close. "God, you still play so dirty," she told him, biting her lip. "That is so hot."

Kissing her with the season of her own arousal, Hyde pushed himself inside her. Together, they moaned, but he wasted no time, his thrusts deep and forceful as his tongue grew desperate inside her mouth.

Beneath his weight, her skin growing hot and sweaty, Jackie experienced myriad sensations. Though, the most intense of them came from within her chest when he tilted his head to deepen their kiss. Rapt in the feeling, Jackie smoothed her palms around his torso, awed at the strength of his back, of his arms and hips. His muscles flexed and rolled below her fingertips as another deep, clenching ache began to build between her thighs.

"Harder, Steven." And when he complied, pumping into her with the fast, punishing rhythm she needed, the warmth of the orgasm he had abandoned rekindled and razed a slow burn. There was no scream, no deafening cry, only a silent gasp that her throat would not release until she started to come down from the feeling.

"Oh, my God," she gasped, finally taking a big gulp of air as he continued his thrusts. Craving his mouth, Jackie yanked his head down into a sweltering kiss. His zeal escalated, his breath seized, and, before she knew it, he had pulled out of her and rolled her onto her stomach.

Playfully, Jackie raised her hips while memories of past lovemaking returned to her. "Come on, baby," she said, her body throbbing, still aching to be filled. "Do it."

Silently, Hyde guided her to her knees. Settling onto her elbows, Jackie raised her hips and waited, recalling this as his favorite position. In anticipation, she wiggled her hips at him and glanced back, finding a smile of his that she's always loved—slight, affectionate, and aimed directly at her.

"Say please," he said, the velvety-smooth head of his erection resting against her.

Without haste, Jackie made a show of biting back her bottom lip. "Oh, Steven, please."

"Please what?"

"Please fuck me."

At his smirk, she rocked herself back against him and moaned appreciatively when she felt his hands stroke her sides, then reach around to squeeze her breasts. After a gentle kiss tickled her spine, he slowly drove himself inside her.

At the feeling of complete penetration, Jackie released another satisfied moan. His shaft stretched and filled her, boring slowly, as his fingers dug deeply into her hips. He was in complete control, and she liked it. But his momentum soon augmented into a rapid tempo, forcing her to grip the bed for support as his hard thrusts propelled her forward, his grip forcing her back each time. Spreading her legs wider and letting her hips rise to bring her pleasure spot directly in his path, Jackie dropped her head onto the pillow, and within moments, a second orgasm tore through her body. This time, she couldn't help but cry out as she was flooded with bliss.

Watching Jackie come beneath him, Hyde dug his fingers into her hips and drove into her with all the power he could muster, his own orgasm looming. This very sight, cemented in memory, was one he masturbated to often. She was so sexy to him, so perfect. They were perfect together. With her name on his lips, the pressure in his scrotum rose high into his shaft, and he was near ready to explode. But before he could pull out, her warm, soft grip mixed with her cries of pleasure sent him jetting inside her. His orgasm striking hard, he buried himself deep, his body frantic and inflamed with the need to thrust even deeper. He had never wanted anyone so much in his life, had never come harder.

When the orgasm waned and his mind cleared, Hyde collapsed beside Jackie. Coiling his arm around her waist, he rested his cheek against her back while they caught their breath.

A few minutes later, he gave her shoulder blade a kiss and rolled to the side, far from guilty as his concerns rested only on his parched throat.

As he considered going into the bathroom to drink from the sink, Jackie crept over his sweat-slicked chest with concern in her eyes. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," he replied as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Steven, what are we going to do?"

With a sigh, Hyde put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I don't know, babe. I don't know."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: High**

 **Music:**

Little Jeanie – Elton John

* * *

 **November 7, 1984**

 **5:58 AM**

 **Chicago, Illinois**

 **The Evergreen Motel**

Beyond the silence and tangled sheets of room D, the November rain poured, falling in dense streams through every flash of lightning and subsequent crack of thunder. It sheltered the small room, protected the fragile bond that lay within its walls. There had been little more than denial holding it together, one inexplicable, defiant thread. But as one occupant slept, clinging to the other, that bond grew stronger, morphing and twisting into something new, something different, with each reassuring squeeze.

No one had left. No one had let go.

Not yet.

It was a tickle that woke Jackie. Soft, little puffs of breath from Hyde's nose were hitting her ear, just enough to irritate. So, she had moved her head slightly to the side, causing him to nuzzle her neck deeper and tickle her even more. Squirming within his coiled arm, she rolled over and gathered his naked body inside every one of her own bare limbs, finding him soft and sweet and warm.

The fact that Hyde had always been his most pleasant while unconscious was still undeniable. He, like most men she'd encountered throughout her life, was an angel in his sleep. No mouthy comments, no ulterior motives, just a big cuddly bug who gave sleepy little kisses that told a story as he dreamed.

Beneath the covers, darkness obscured his face, leaving Jackie to experience him through only her four remaining senses. _Touch_ was unavoidable, for she was practically surrounded by him. Like the sun after a hot day at the beach, his heat had saturated her skin and left her feeling as though he was still inside her. _Smell_ ; that was fading, but still, his natural scent, mixed with shampoo and smoke, encircled her in the blackness. _Sound_ was the one that was keeping her awake, though. Hyde's groans and breaths and sleepy mumbles were enough to hold her attention and make her smile wearily.

 _Taste_. Jackie shut her eyes. Oh, the way he tasted.

Fighting the urge to sleep, she kissed his temple, flicking out her tongue to taste him.

"Mm. Steven," she called against his skin. "Are you sleeping?"

When he didn't answer, Jackie decided that her nakedness would better ask the question and stir _his_ senses to life. Skin softly grazing skin, she tasted his lips while she smoothed her leg up his and hooked it over his hip. "Steven…" Every part of her moved cozily over every part of him as she kissed and fondled and rubbed. His hands responded first, finding their way to her sides and hips and rear. They kneaded and squeezed and pulled her closer. "Mm," she moaned when his lips joined in, and he pushed his erection, rock-hard now, against her. "Are you awake, Steven?"

"No, I'm still asleep," Hyde replied between lazy, pecking kisses.

Jackie laughed, and without warning, he used his weight advantage to roll and position himself over her. From there, he gave her a sluggish grin and kissed her again, this time making a play for her tongue until tight lips stopped him.

"Uh-uh," Jackie scowled while turning her head to the side, keeping her hands tenderly placed along his unshaven jaw line. "No kissing."

Hyde straightened his arms to raise himself up. "Why not?"

"Because, Steven. We haven't brushed our teeth."

For a moment, Hyde was quiet. "Whatever," he muttered before moving his lips down to her sternum.

Jackie giggled at the feeling and slipped her fingers into his curls. His kisses were proving to be more ticklish by the one while tiny bites and nibbles teased her goose-bumped flesh from her stomach to her sensitive sides, making her laugh his name and squirm with joy.

At about her mid-thigh, she could feel his smooth erection brushing against her skin. But it wasn't until his mouth found the firm bud of her breast and began to suck gently that Jackie moaned and kicked back the sweltering covers.

Delicately, she gripped his hair, the dark blue morning light allowing her to watch him, so attentive and gentle with her body, even at this early hour.

"Steven," she called quietly. "Make love to me."

At that, Hyde gave her the sleepiest smile she'd ever seen in her life, and after giving the flesh between her breasts a kiss, he settled back over her and found her eyes in the low light. So far, neither had brought up the question that was plaguing the backs of their minds: what the hell were they doing? Neither had dared acknowledge a single one of their transgressions. Instead, kisses replaced questions and sex replaced guilt—or eased the sting of it anyway while it created even more.

Without making a sound, Hyde watched his ex-girlfriend's face as he slowly slid inside her warm, snug cunt. Each push deeper caused a small flinch of her brow line and a parting of her lips, and when he was fully entombed, Jackie closed her eyes and thrust her chin toward the ceiling, leaving Hyde no choice but to open his mouth over the soft, fragrant flesh underneath.

As his lips swept down her jaw line, she snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm hug. Like that, they moved, slow and purposeful, and when his first name escaped with her breath, sounding so tender and sweet, Hyde felt his heart constrict. There was no way he could know that the pain was his beating organ stealing from one to give to another. Though just a sliver, it was enough to cause a concentrated surge of affection, then of passion. Resting on his elbows, Hyde slid his hands into Jackie's hair and pushed it up so he could bite and suck the side of her neck as his thrusts hastened.

"Jesus, Jackie," he whispered gruffly in her ear. "You feel so good."

Over his back and hips, Jackie's hands became insistent, pulling him in, causing him to pump faster, harder, and with greater precision, trying to bring herself with him to orgasm. He didn't know if he could hold it back long enough to please her.

But in little time, her breaths grew heavy in his ear and, the moment he heard her high-pitched whimpering in his ear, he knew she was close.

"Steven, harder," she pleaded, biting his shoulder and grabbing his hips again to try and force his thrusts.

"I'm going to come if I do," he grunted softly as he drove into her, his movements growing erratic and uncoordinated.

"Oh, my God, Steven," she rasped, her voice guttural. "I'm coming so hard."

"Fuck." Hyde pulled out of her and stroked his cock until thread after thread of his cum spurted onto her belly, his orgasm ripping through him.

Drained for the third time in four hours, he dropped his head onto her shoulder, exhausted.

"Did you finish?" he asked her.

"No," Jackie grumbled, grinding herself against him.

"I told you I was going to come." Hyde rolled to the side, causing her to exhale in a great, big huff of dissatisfaction. "Sorry," he said, feeling not-so-sorry. Jackie narrowed her eyes as he glanced over at her. "What? What do you want me to do? It's not my fault you took so long."

"So long? That was like five minutes."

"It was six," he corrected.

"Steven."

"Fine." Reaching over the side of the bed, Hyde grabbed his towel off the floor and handed it to her.

"Uh, uh," Jackie said tersely. "You clean it off. It's yours."

With a great, big huff of his own, Hyde sat up and cleaned off her abdomen. She was a strange fucking experience, he thought to himself, different than from what he had become accustomed to in Jessica and the chicks before her. Unlike any of them, Jackie was a stubborn and demanding pain in the ass, expecting him to work for her, in more ways than one. But in a sick way, he sort-of liked it. He liked her unruliness, her bossiness and meanness. It was a turn on.

"There." After tossing the towel across the room, Hyde situated himself to hover authoritatively over her, lying squarely between her thighs as he used his arms to push her legs further apart. "You done complaining now?"

Jackie raised her eyebrows. "No."

After an amused smirk, Hyde gave her a slow, deep kiss and brushed his hand down her belly, past the little landing strip of dark curls, and over her smooth, wet lips. "How about now?"

"No," she reiterated quietly. "You're going to have to do better than that."

Hyde smirked again, intrigued by her challenging tone, and gently began to rub circles over her with several of his fingers. "And now?"

Unconsciously, Jackie closed her eyes and raised her chin. "No," she breathed out. "Not good enough."

Satisfied with what he interpreted as surrender, Hyde slipped two of his fingers, his middle and ring, as deep inside her as they would go and began to thrust upward, faster and faster, harder and harder, until she was near speechless, her legs spreading wide. "How about now?"

"Uh-huh," Jackie whined as she bucked and arched her back. "Oh, God. Don't stop."

Hyde did as she asked, his mouth closing around the sensitive peaks of her breasts, sucking fervently as his hand continued to fuck her. Against his drenched fingertips, Jackie swelled and hardened, her inner muscles tightening, pulsating as she gasped out for him and God.

"Not so mouthy now, are you," he said as Jackie shuddered beneath him, elation spreading across her features in several debilitating waves. Her eyes remained closed, though, her hips still searching for more as he slowly and gently weaned her off her orgasm. Her head falling to the side, Jackie moaned quietly as Hyde grazed his lips and tongue across her neck, whispering, "You're sexy."

"Steven," Jackie whispered as she wrapped her arms around him. "Kiss me."

Soothingly, he pressed his lips to hers.

"Thank you," she whispered, her tone sleepy but blissful.

Fatigued himself, Hyde rolled slowly to her left side and pulled her in for a hug. Both closed their eyes and kissed a few more times, slight, lethargic pecks, the only kisses their depleted energy would allow for.

"Hold me tighter, Steven," Jackie managed to say through her exhaustion.

Wrapping her in a tighter embrace, Hyde carried her with him back into sleep…

* * *

Five Hours Later

11AM

Instead of the sound of rain hitting the pavement outside, Jackie entered consciousness, this time, to the sound of water hitting the ceramic shower floor. Behind her, the sheets were cold. No warm body spooned hers. No strong arm held her in place. She was alone.

Jackie raised her head and propped herself up onto her elbow. "Steven?" her raspy voice called out. As her orientation leveled, she realized that it was him in the shower. Finding relief in that fact, Jackie dropped her head back down and closed her heavy eyelids as she drifted back out to sleep, telling herself that she and Hyde needed to have a serious talk, without it turning into sex. Just a talk… No more sex… Talk… No sex, Jackie... Talk… Sex… Sex... So much sex...

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

Waking up again, Jackie was greeted to what she had been denied only thirty minutes earlier. Her legs and back were now warm and protected, the strong arm of a man held her nude body closely to his clothed one, and sweet, warm kisses were tickling her shoulder blade. Though, through it all, her weighted-down lids refused to open.

"Hey," she heard in her ear. "Come on, Jackie. Wake up."

"I'm awake," she returned groggily, her eyes still shut.

"Are you going to take a shower?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, you should do it now, because I have to go pick up the van."

"So, go pick it up," she grumbled and pulled the covers over her face.

"Aren't you going to come with me?"

"No," she whined. "Just go get it yourself."

"Come on. I want you to come with me."

Her cranky groan responded.

"I don't have much time. Get up." Hyde slipped out from under the covers and walked around to her side of the bed, bending down to search underneath it for something.

"Check out's not 'til one," she reminded him. "Why can't I stay here?"

"Because I need a witness," he answered, standing up as he shoved his wallet into his pocket.

"Oh, God, Steven. Is this about that stupid car? I believe you, okay? Just go."

"I'm serious, Jackie." Hyde walked over to the table where he sat down to put his on shoes. "I need your help. Get up. I'm going to go get us breakfast first."

"And toothpaste," she interjected, her eyes still sealed shut.

"Yeah, and toothpaste, and you better at least be in the shower when I get back."

Jackie opened on eye. "Or what?"

"Or I'll freakin' leave you here is what," was the last thing she heard him say before the front door opened and quickly shut behind him. With a frustrated growl, Jackie pulled the covers over her head and curled into a tight ball. The room was freezing without that jerk beside her.

* * *

Twenty-Two Minutes Later

Jumping over a puddle, with two brown bags in hand, Hyde reached Jackie's room and realized that he didn't have the keys with him. To either room.

"Damn it," he uttered, knocking on the door as he searched his pockets…nothing. He waited a minute or two, knocking several times, before Jackie finally opened the door, hair wet and wearing a towel. "Hey," Hyde offered with a grin. "I like the outfit."

"I'm sure you do."

After that, Jackie disappeared into the bathroom, making him wonder if consciousness and sobriety had finally caught up with her. She had been sober this morning, hadn't she? Undeniably, he, himself, was already beginning to feel the sting of regret, but just a little bit. Full, gut-wrenching guilt would surely arrive with the accompaniment of Jessica's voice once he called her.

For now, there was food.

"Hey," Hyde said, following Jackie into the bathroom. "I got you some orange juice and a…"

Before he could finish, Jackie snagged the plain brown bag from him, leaving the McDonald's one alone, and turned back around. Without a word, or a single glance, she pulled out her new toothbrush and toothpaste and proceeded to brush her teeth.

"Jackie."

She ignored him.

"Jackie."

Still nothing.

"Jackie, come on, what the hell?" His jaw tightening, Hyde took in a deep, frustrated breath. "What did I do now?"

Jackie said nothing. Her facial expression gave her away, though. She was pissed. And, at that revelation, Hyde's eyes cast downward as he shook his head, unable to believe that he hadn't seen it coming. She had been drunk, and that meant that he, having been mostly sober, took advantage.

 _Crap._

"Look," he forced out. "I'm sorry about last night, okay. I didn't mean for this…"

Abruptly, Jackie looked up at his reflection. "You didn't mean for this? For what, Steven?" She forced a cynical laugh and spit, rinsing her mouth with a palm-full of motel water. "Mmm. God, you didn't waste any time regretting last night—or this morning—did you?"

"Jackie, that's not what I was going to say."

"No, I already know, Steven," Jackie cut in with a derisive smile, scrunching her nose and drying her face with a nearby towel. "It was just sex. Right? I mean, I wouldn't want you to waste another minute of your precious time explaining it to me." With one final look of disdain, Jackie slid out the door and into the room as Hyde trailed close behind.

"What the hell is your problem right now?" he asked. "You were fine when I left."

Back to her silent punishment, Jackie secured her towel and sat down on the bed to lotion her legs.

"Jackie."

More silence.

"Man, screw this. I can't win with you."

Meaning to walk out the door, but remembering that he had no key, Hyde turned and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. Neither coming or going, he shut his eyes and let his back fall against the door. Was he actually hiding from her in the damn bathroom? Hyde opened his eyes again and looked at his tired reflection. No. He was—he grabbed the other new toothbrush—brushing his teeth! That's what he was doing! Brushing his teeth like a man! A leathery, sovereign man who didn't take shit from any woman!

Turning on the water, Hyde began to scrub, making a conscious effort to drag it out for as long as possible. And as he did, his guilt began to surface. It had suppressed itself during the blissful fog of sex and intimacy, laying low when Jackie would smile and kiss him or wind her legs around him. But now, as he stared into his own guilty eyes, Hyde realized that he had risked his relationship with Jessica for nothing. It wasn't as if he had expected one with Jackie—he didn't _want_ one—but he also hadn't expected another fight. Not again…

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

" _Is he…I mean…Does he want to get back together with you or something?"_

"I don't think so."

" _Well, what did he say?"_

"He didn't say anything."

" _Well,_ _Jackie! What did you…What about Colin?"_

The name stung her eyes. She'd been pushing his image from her mind for hours, trying like hell to put off the guilt that wanted to consume her. "I know," Jackie began to whine, her chest shuddering with grief. "Oh, I'm going to lose him, aren't I? He's going to hate me, Kevin. What have I done?"

 _"You mean, what do you keep doing, over and over again?"_

"Yes, that."

" _Look, Jackie. He's not going to hate you because he's never going to find out."_

To that vow, said with such conviction, Jackie nodded. Kevin always knew how to empower her, with the brief reminder that he would claw his own mother's eyes out if it would help one of his best friends hide a secret _._

 _"OK, I got it,"_ Kevin continued after a thoughtful pause _. "I'll take care of Scott. I'll tell him you have the flu and that you called out but I forgot to tell him earlier. Whatever. He can kiss my ass."_

Jackie giggled. "I love you."

" _Yeah, I love you, too. Be good, and no more sex with the ex,"_ he ordered. _"Call me when you get home."_

"OK, bye." Jackie hung up the phone and immediately looked up to see Hyde standing a few feet away from her, looking incredibly worn. She laid her head on the pillow and glanced at him again before closing her eyes. "What do _you_ want?"

"Was that Colin?" he asked quietly.

She thought she heard the slightest hint of irritation in his voice. Then again, he was always irritated. "No," Jackie answered, opening her eyes. "That was Kevin. My friend. Remember?"

"You tell all your guy friends you love them?"

Jackie sighed. "It wasn't Colin, Steven."

Deciding he was better off dropping the subject, Hyde stepped over and turned on the lamp to give the room some light. The dark sky outside hadn't offered much and the squinting was giving him a headache. With the flip of that switch, Jackie was revealed to him in full color, covered in a threadbare hotel towel, lying on her side. He could practically taste her skin, clean and warm and, only a few hours ago, his to freely devour.

To his surprise, Jackie scooted over to make room for him.

Neither really knew what to say. And neither would look each other in the eyes, even as Hyde lay down beside her and slipped his arm beneath the pillow. In all their years apart, avoidance and anger had reigned. It had simply been easier than the alternative. It had been easier, Hyde thought, than admitting that the center of his chest felt ten pounds heavier whenever she was in the same room.

"Steven, look at me," Jackie demanded quietly. And when Hyde did, she continued. "Can I ask you something?"

"What," he barely opened his mouth to say.

"Do you really regret being with me?"

"Jackie, I wasn't saying that."

"No. No, Steven. I mean, you know, back when we were together. Last night, you said you wasted two years on me…That really hurt."

Hyde looked tired to her, but his exhaustion became apparent when his eyes began to move again. He looked down and away as his body appeared to deflate. "Jackie," he sighed. "You've gotta stop listening to the crap I say. There's…I say a lot that I don't mean. Okay?"

Jackie shook her head. "No. It's not okay. You can't keep treating me like that and then just turn around and sleep with me like nothing happened," she explained, immediately deflating, too, as she threw up her hand tearfully. "But I _just_ let you, didn't I? I _let_ you treat me badly."

"Hey. Come here." Hyde reached out and hooked his arm around her waist to pull her closer. "You want the truth? I don't regret being with you. I never did. If anybody should regret our relationship, it's you. I know that."

With a pondering frown, Jackie looked away. "But I don't."

"Well, you should," he said, staring into her eyes. "Because you're right. You don't deserve to be treated like crap. It's not..." A deep inhale eased into a long pause. "I was wrong to say that to you. And I didn't mean it."

At that, Jackie's brow furrowed and her jaw dropped about an inch. "Are you alright?"

Hyde grimaced with her. "Huh?"

"Well…" With curious amazement, Jackie scooted in closer. "I just can't believe you said that. I mean…I'm glad, don't get me wrong, but…" Staring at him as he waited for her to finish, Jackie wondered if it was possible for someone to change, like really change for the better. "Oh, Steven."

Freeing Hyde from his misery was her warm hand as it delicately landed on his cheek, sending his vision into the darkness again, behind closed lids. Lying there on his side, Hyde felt like his throat was going to cave in on him until the moment Jackie's lips touched his. Kiss after kiss, as Hyde drew her all the way in against himself, she spoke to him in whispers. "You're so different, Steven… But… You're kind of the same, too... I don't know what I'm doing anymore." The conversation ended there, punctuated with ten minutes of hungry kisses and a lost motel towel. All the while, outside, the storm raged on.

* * *

Forty-Eight Minutes Later

Sitting by herself, once again, at the foot of the bed, Jackie slipped on her boots and fell backwards, her hair fanning out over the mussed sheets as her arms followed. In the light of day, she could see that this room was just that—a room. Not the daunting hellscape that it had become in memory. And though she and Hyde had inadvertently changed its history, she knew that their past could not be erased, no matter how much time had passed or how much he had changed. It would forever be part of them.

Exhausted, Jackie closed her eyes to get a little bit of rest as she waited for Hyde, who promised that he'd be right back. But it really didn't matter. She was happy for the break. She needed a moment to think without his lips distracting her, because here, alone in the silence, was where Colin returned to her.

Her nose and eyes stung as a single tear escaped. Her palm rose to wipe it away. "I'm so sorry, Colin," she whispered as another teardrop fell. Curling into a ball on her side, Jackie tried her best to wrangle and take possession of her thoughts. They were chaotic. But beyond that, making it even worse, was that her mind and body were conflicted. One part of her missed Colin so badly that she just wanted to find him, bury her head into his chest, and fall asleep forever. The other part ached for Hyde. Not in the same way as with Colin, but with an emotion that she could not pin down. All she knew for sure was that she felt intoxicated around Hyde these days, woozy with affection, drawn to him like a magnet. Maybe it was just that he just reminded her of home, the freedom of youth, the same youth they'd spent together, getting high, making love, and wreaking havoc.

"Hey. Jackie. You asleep?"

Jackie looked up from her folded arms and saw Hyde frown through her bleary eyes.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head, aware that she probably looked a wreck. She certainly felt like one. No make-up, exhausted, same clothes as yesterday, and a cheating whore. It wasn't exactly a banner day for Jackie Burkhart. "Nothing. I'm fine," she claimed, but watching him as he stared back, her bottom lip protruded, tears returning, arms rising.

Without hesitation, Hyde leaned down so she could wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down over her. His weight soon pinned her to the bed, his warm body enveloping her. "I'm scared, Steven," she breathed out. "I'm scared of what's happening with us. I'm scared Colin's going to find out. I don't know what's going to happen."

Hyde sighed. "He won't find out. I promise."

She squeezed him tighter and held him there for a several minutes until all of her worries were temporarily settled and he propped himself up a bit.

"You ready to go?" he asked, taking a light hold of her chin. "Wilbur and his wife are waiting for us."

Nodding, Jackie let go of him, wiping her eyes as she stood up. After grabbing her coat and bag, she walked toward the door and let curiosity turn her around to tilt her head at Hyde. "Steven? What are the odds that we would end up in the same exact motel room that we broke up in…all the way out in Chicago? I mean, don't you find it a little weird? What if fate or God or my Fairy Godmother brought us here on purpose?"

Hyde cleared his throat and blinked several times. "Well…How do you know this is the exact same room? I don't remember the room number. Do you?"

Thinking it over, too, Jackie frowned. "Well, no."

"Well, there you go," Hyde said with a shrug and a smile.

Jackie smiled and walked out with Hyde right behind her. He turned to shut the door and took another look at the room that housed their demise, his memory sharp as a tack. Room D could go get bent, he thought as he shut it, along with whoever brought them here…

* * *

 **Tommy's Auto Shop**

 **Thirty-Eight Minutes Later**

Hyde took one last Polaroid of Wilbur's car and handed the camera back to Jackie while he shoved half of the pictures he had taken into his pockets. He gave the other half to Jackie.

"Here. Take these. They're safer if they're separated," he said, pointing at her. "And don't do anything stupid with them."

Jackie sneered at her ex-boyfriend. "You mean like drop them into a tub full of funnel cake batter?"

Hyde nodded. "Yeah…And it wasn't funnel cake batter, it was the oil they get fried in," he reminded her and walked away.

Jackie rolled her eyes toward Carol. "You have no idea how many nights I spent listening to his lame theories about that stupid _Car that Runs on Water_."

Carol grimaced. "You're telling me? I spent my honeymoon searching for a 'four-chambered rear main seal' that the government is supposedly hiding from the public."

Jackie laughed, her dreamy demeanor reaching Carol with suspicion.

"You slept with that boy," the older woman instantly accused. "Didn't you?"

Her smile fading, Jackie's entire body went rigid. "Huh?"

"Don't 'Huh' me, young lady. You slept with him, didn't you? I can see it all over your face."

"What?" Jackie yelped with feigned shock. "That's crazy. I wouldn't…" Quickly, upon seeing Carol's bullshit-proof expression, Jackie changed tactics. "Oh! Are you referring to this stunning glow?" she asked, gesturing to her own face. "No, see, I _always_ glow like this. I was born with it." The two women stared at each other, Carol's eyebrow arched in dispute. "Fine, okay!" Jackie broke down. "I couldn't help myself. He's a _really_ good kisser, Carol."

That said, Carol tried to appear disappointed, but laughed instead, finding the melodramatic plight of her young, new friend rather beguiling. "Come here," she said, putting her arm over Jackie's shoulder. "It's going to be fine. Just do like I said. Take some time for you, to figure stuff out. Because you'll never be able to do it with _Mr. Good Kisser_ 's lips attached to yours."

Together, they nodded while, nearby, Wilbur put his arm around Hyde and leaned his head in. "You nailed her, didn't you?"

Guiltily, Hyde nodded. "Yep."

Silently, the two men nodded until Wilbur sighed and let go of Hyde to reach into his own pocket. "Of course, you did. Anyway, I want you to take this," he said, looking around suspiciously as he pulled out a small key and handed it to Hyde.

"What's this for?"

"Central Bank of Chicago. I have five safe deposit boxes that contain copies of all my blueprints and notes." Wilbur lowered his voice and leaned closer. "My closest friends and Carol have the other four. See, you're perfect because you live far away, and they don't know you."

The seriousness of the older man's tone caused Hyde to step even closer as his own voice turned equally conspiratorial. "Who are _they_?" he asked carefully.

Wilbur stepped back. "Who do you think, man?"

Hyde's body jerked. "Right." The government. The oil companies. What the hell was wrong with him? He was losing his, ever-so-brilliant, paranoid touch. He made a mental note to smoke more often. "Got it."

Wilbur continued. "Well, if anything should happen to me, I want you to send all of that stuff to the Canadian media."

Hyde shot the old guy a confused scowl. Damn, there was more to this government conspiracy crap than he had ever realized. He had usually been high during his rants, so any one of sleep, food or sex would distract him from coming up with anything plausible. "Why Canada?" he asked, feeling as if he should already know the answer.

"Because, man, the Canadians hate our guts and would love to blow this whole thing wide open." Wilbur patted Hyde on the back with a laugh, amused at the young man's naïve bewilderment. "You're a good kid. I trust you to figure it out."

Hyde put the key into his pocket. "Thanks, man."

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Will. Did you give that boy a key?" Carol asked as she walked up with Jackie and folded her arms.

"Yes, I did," Wilbur told his wife proudly.

Carol laughed and shook her head before turning to Jackie. "You better get Steven home before my husband corrupts him."

"Too late," Jackie contended happily. "Steven's been corrupted since birth. He grew up poor. It's part of his charm."

With an arrogant grin, aimed directly at Jackie, Hyde pulled the keys to the van out of his pocket. "That's right, baby. Now, come on. Let's get out of here."

"OK," Jackie said, turning to Carol for a hug. "Did he just call me 'baby'?"

"Sure did."

Jackie smiled giddily. "That means he's in a _frisky_ mood."

"Jackie," Carol warned. "Don't forget about what I said."

"I know," the brunette said, rolling her eyes. "I know. Well…Bye Carol. Thank you so much."

"No problem, sweetie. Just call me if you need to talk, or at least, to tell me what the hell happens. The curiosity is going to drive me bonkers. And plus, us old 'broads' need fodder for our gossip nights."

Jackie giggled and promised to call, giving her new friend a final kiss on the cheek before getting into the van with Hyde.

As they drove off, Wilbur put his arm around his wife's waist while she waved them off. "Yeah, those two kids are in deep shit," he concluded with a chuckle and quickly walked away to finish his work.

Carol smiled. "Yep…"

 _HOW THEY KNOW_

 _March 3, 1951_

 _Great Plains High School_

 _Chicago, Illinois_

 _Strutting down the hall with his friends, a sixteen-year-old Wilbur Malloy made eyes with the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his life – Diana Warner. She was a cheerleader, blonde with curves in all the right places and a smile that could kill an otherwise healthy man._

" _Hey, Will," one of his friends said, tipping his chin toward the cheerleader. "Check out the stems on her."_

" _Screw the stems. Check out those cans," another cited._

 _Wilbur smirked at the girl, receiving a coy smile in return, her friends giggling all around her. "I'm going to ask her to the dance," he said, never taking his eyes off of her._

 _As his friends joked and wrestled with each other, Wilbur flirted unabashedly from across the aisle until he felt a tap on his shoulder._

" _Wilbur," a small voice called from behind. "Hello? Earth to Wilbur!"_

 _He turned around, rolling his eyes the moment he realized it was just his best friend Arthur's bothersome little sister Carol. She was fourteen and a complete drag, always following him around and bugging the hell out of him every chance she got. "Get outta here, ya pest. I'm busy."_

" _Wilbur," a young Carol pleaded as she squeezed her books against her chest, her hand grabbing his jacket to keep him from turning back to the blonde who was watching him. "I need to talk to you."_

" _Wilbur! Wilbur!" he heard his friends tease as they took off without him. "I need you! Wilbur!"_

 _Wilbur was pissed now. "What do you want now?" he growled at Carol._

 _She looked nervous suddenly as her eyes grew rounder, making him calm down just a little. "I just…Well remember how I was telling you last week that Ricky Stanton asked me to the sock hop?"_

" _No," he sneered._

" _Oh," she said with a pout. "Well, he did, and my mother made me the most beautiful baby blue dress, but…" Carol's eyes began to water. "He…He just told me that he doesn't want to go with me anymore. He asked Georgia Matthews instead."_

 _"So?" Wilbur's face softened a little at the crying young girl before him. "Why are you telling me?"_

" _Well…" With big, alligator tears rolling down her cheeks, Carol threw her body into Wilbur's and buried her face into his chest. "Will you take me? My mother's making me go because of my dress. I'll be humiliated if I have to show up without a date." Carol stepped back. "We can even neck if you want," she nodded as a smile shined through her tears._

 _Wilbur's face twisted in puzzlement. "No…Thanks. I'm asking Diana Warner to the dance," he replied and turned to walk away. Immediately, he caught eyes with his blonde fantasy while behind him the sorrowful crying of his best friend's sister, a girl he'd known since she was four, could be heard. But Diana smiled at him again, diverting his attention instantly. God, this girl was beautiful. He had been chasing her all year, and now she seemed to like him. He could see it in her eyes as she gave him that look, challenging him to walk over, to ask her._

" _Wilbur, please," he heard as a quiet sob against his back. Wilbur shut his eyes. Why did he even feel bad for her? He hated her, but she was crying and begging, and she had a baby blue dress._

" _Alright," he grumbled through gritted teeth. "Just stop your crying."_

 _Immediately, Carol ran around happily to his front side. She was smiling now, and bouncing slightly, while behind her head, Diana Warner rolled her eyes and walked away, making him wonder what he had been thinking, completely unaware that he had just chosen his wife over the blond._

 _Carol poked him in the chest. "OK. Pick me up at six o'clock sharp! Don't be late! And you'll need to match me, so wear a baby blue boutonniere. And I think maybe you should get a haircut. I mean, this isn't the jungle, Wilbur. It's Chicago. And if you want to make-out with me, you're going to have to make sure to…"_

…Present Day…

From across Tommy's garage, Wilbur smiled at his best friend's baby sister as she sat back in her seat, bored, and painted her nails. Best decision he ever hated making…

* * *

 **The Van**

 **Somewhere between Chicago and Milwaukee**

 _"Please Do Not Go' by the Violent Femmes plays on the tape deck._

Hyde tapped his fingers absentmindedly on the steering wheel as he drove, his mind focused on way more than the wet road ahead. For the most part, it focused where he felt it probably should: on a pretty waitress turned corporate lackey. That's where his thoughts seemed to gravitate every time Jackie stared pensively out her window, not offering him any sort of distraction.

The idea of Jess finding out about what he had done made him cringe and wish he were dead. She would be devastated, reduced to her knees in tears if she knew. But what pained him the most was that she would probably forgive him in the end and say it was because she loved him so much. Hyde squeezed his eyes shut briefly. He didn't deserve to be loved like that. He wanted to shake her sometimes, scream at her for being so foolish and for falling so hard for a dirtbag like him. But the truth was: he wanted that love.

Looking to his right, hoping to grab Jackie's attention, Hyde cleared his throat.

 _Distract me!_

Pushing the blonde's image aside, as expected, was the turn of Jackie's head and a bright smile, the one where her eyes got all squinty and bright. He wanted to see that smile every day. He wanted it aimed at him alone. But these were crazy thoughts, and he wasn't sure what the hell he was going to do about them. Though, he hoped as he concentrated on the road again that Jackie agreed that whatever was happening between them had to end. Once and for all. It just had to. Jackie had a beautiful smile, but there was something better that Jessica gave to him every day, and there was no way he was going to destroy the one person left in the world who could look at him with absolute faith.

As Hyde drove, his peripheral vision caught Jackie's arm reach out for the radio and, suddenly, the music stopped.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"I hate that music. It sucks."

"No, it doesn't. The crap you listen to sucks," he stated casually. "Put it back."

"No way," Jackie responded as she turned the radio dial, searching for something a little more her style. "You got to listen to what you wanted on the drive over yesterday."

"Yeah, because it's my van," Hyde retorted. Glancing over, he received _the_ _look_ , the one that made you fear for your shins and other sensitive places that you liked to use with the looker of that look. So, after sighing, he gave up and turned his eyes back to the road. "Whatever."

Immediately, he was surprised with a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Steven. You're sweet," she teased. "Like a fluffy little kitten."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't put on disco or it's war."

"Deal. Disco's out anyway." Jackie continued to turn the dial. "It's all about the…Oh! I love this song," she exclaimed, stopping at Elton John's voice and grinning wide at Hyde. "It's not disco."

 _Oh, little Jeannie  
You got so much love, little Jeannie  
And you take it where it strikes  
And give it to the likes of me_

As Hyde's entire brow line wrinkled in irritation, the synapses in his brain began to fire with every musical note, sparking something familiar that loitered just below the surface of his mind. Confused, he looked at Jackie. "Hey, why does this sound…" …. familiar, he trailed off inwardly, looking back to scowl at the highway in front of him.

Jackie frowned. "Why does it sound _what?"_

Hyde shook his head, "Nothing," and searched his mind for the memory. He knew one existed because it was coming through in obscure bits and pieces. It was about Jackie. Maybe. Something about… Hyde glanced over at her. Why did this song remind him of her?

A spark of emotion, a trigger of images, and it hit him.

Fez…

 _April 4, 1980_

 _It was early on a Friday night and he had just dropped off his date. The girl was a virgin who wouldn't shut her damn mouth long enough to let him even kiss her. So, for that, she got an express ticket home after only an hour at the drive-in._

 _After that waste of time, Hyde found himself at the Hub, looking for his friends and a burger. And, as he had hoped, he ran into one immediately upon opening the door. It was Fez, walking out as he walked in. An Elton John song had been playing inside._

And I want you to be my acrobat  
I want you to be my lover  
Oh, there were others, who would treat you cruel  
And oh, Jeannie, you were always someone's fool

" _Hey, man," Hyde said, stopping his scowling, foreign friend before he could exit. "Where you going?"_

 _Fez's shoulders relaxed. "Home."_

" _Why?" Hyde asked, looking around. "Is nobody here?"_

" _No. Jackie is here," Fez answered solemnly before raising his head up to Hyde, his eyes suddenly fixed hard on his friend's. "But just leave her alone, Hyde. She's already upset. So, do not give her any your crap tonight. Okay?"_

 _After a few passes around the busy diner, Hyde finally found Jackie sitting in the far booth by herself. Her head was down as she wiped her eyes discreetly. He shifted his attention back to Fez._

 _"What's going on?" he asked against his better judgment._

" _We broke up."_

 _It was difficult, but Hyde managed to fight through his penchant for burning. Their 'relationship' was a joke to him. Complete bullshit. There was no way Jackie really liked Fez, Hyde assured himself, especially not after dating_ him _for two years. His ego wouldn't even entertain the thought._

" _How come?" Hyde asked, subconsciously hoping to hear that Jackie had come to her senses and dumped the foreigner, maybe because she was still in love with her burnout ex-boyfriend. That would have made his night, knowing that he had been right, knowing that she still wanted him. Not that he would do anything about it other than gloat._

" _I just had to break up with her, Hyde," Fez admitted dejectedly, looking like a guy who had just kicked a puppy. "I had to. Things were not going well. All we do is argue now."_

 _Hyde's face scrunched in complete confusion. "Wait, YOU broke up with HER?"_

" _Yes, I did. She is just not the same dazzling woman I spent all those years admiring. I mean, I love Jackie, do not get me wrong, but she's just so different now," Fez looked down. "Or maybe it is me who is different."_

 _Grimacing, Hyde took a more secure stance, spreading his legs further apart to brace himself for something he hadn't been prepared for. "Wait. Hang on. Let me get this straight. You,_ Fez _, broke up with_ Jackie, _and now_ she's _crying over_ you _?"_

 _Fez nodded sadly. "Hyde, I feel like such a bastard right now. Probably like how you must feel every day," he said casually. At that, Hyde's jaw clenched. "You know, this is all your fault. You really did ruin her," Through his sadness, the foreigner smiled. "She used to be so spirited and playful, you know?"_

" _Whatever, man. I didn't ruin anybody," Hyde responded in his own defense. "She turned into a bitch. That's what happened."_

" _Can you blame her?" Fez tossed in crossly. "Everything she has ever wanted has been taken away from her and now THAT is what's left," he charged, pointing at the small, vacant-eyed brunette in the corner. "The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her, too." Grabbing the door knob, a, now, teary-eyed Fez swung the door open angrily. "I have to go."_

 _A little shell-shocked, Hyde apprehensively walked over to Jackie's table and sat down. "Hey," he offered as she briefly glanced up at him. But without a word in response, her gaze returned to the empty space that seemed to hold her thoughts. A few quieter moments ticked past and the girl didn't move, not an inch. "You hungry?" he asked._

 _Dismally, Jackie shook her head as she continued to stare at nothing, making Hyde shift in his seat uncomfortably. He felt so awkward trying to comfort her over freakin' Fez of all people. But mostly, he hated that her tears still had an effect on him._

 _He had no idea what to say to her. "You want a milkshake or something?"_

 _The brunette responded with another shake of her head, causing Hyde to flip his eyes up in annoyance. He was quickly growing impatient with her silence._

" _You want to talk about it," he wound up saying irritably, not exactly an invitation for her to say yes._

 _And as Hyde had suspected she might, Jackie looked up at him with complete disgust._

" _Not with you," she snapped, her once empty eyes now full of contempt. "God, why are you even here, Steven? To remind me that I have no job and no boyfriend again? That I'm never going to get married and have kids. Well, you were right, okay? I'm not," she cried, her tears increasing by the second. "Is that what you came over here to gloat about? What a loser I am? How I can't even keep Fez interested in me?"_

" _No," Hyde retorted back. "I was just trying to be fuckin' nice, okay."_

" _Well, don't, Steven. You suck at it." Her eyes fell back on the tabletop. "Just go away and leave me alone."_

" _Fine." Hyde shot up from his seat with a heady mixture of anger and embarrassment, having had arrogantly assumed that his shoulder would still be precious real estate in her world. But he had been wrong. Those days were long gone. "Have fun by yourself. You better get used to it," he spat as he walked away, regretting the bitter words the instant they flew from his mouth. But he walked out anyway, projecting the very opposite._

 _Once outside, curiosity forced him to look in the window at her. To his surprise, she appeared fine. No more tears or expression of despair. She was just sitting there, blankly staring at the tabletop and chewing on the inside of her cheek, looking beautiful. And it hit him. Fez had been right. Everything had been essentially taken from her—her career, her dignity, her best friend, and now, from what he could see, her only source of comfort, Fez. And he finally understood. Fez had become her new shoulder while his own had become obsolete. It was strange how much things had changed. How much they all had…_

Pulling Hyde from his memory was a sudden indent of pressure on the seat near his hip and a soft pair of lips that began to leave slow, desirous kisses all over his neck.

Without another thought, Hyde coiled his right arm around Jackie's waist and tugged her closer, making her squeal with delight. Eager little kisses peppered his face and when he risked another glance at the spirited brunette, a soft, petite hand scathed his cheek and pulled his head to the right.

"Give me a kiss, Steven," Jackie purred.

But before Hyde could respond, his lips were being commandeered by hers. Still, he had to force his eyes back on the road as he simultaneously battled the instinct to close them, especially when her tongue invaded his mouth and drew him into a series of deep kisses.

"Jackie," he mumbled as desperate muscles continuously pried his eyelids open, her scalding hot mouth and now southwardly roaming hands obliterating his concentration altogether. "I'm going to crash if you keep it up."

Wearing an impish smile, Jackie continued her assault on his body. "Well…" After kissing her way down to his lap, she gently bit at the crotch of his jeans. "How about now?"

"No…I mean, yeah…I mean…Crap." Hyde shut his eyes, swallowing hard, when he heard and felt the downward zip of his fly. "Jesus, Jackie," he grunted softly and looked down in time to watch her take him into her mouth. "Oh, yeah. I claim for you 'shotgun for life'…"

* * *

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Jackie's Apartment Complex Parking Lot**

 **One Hour Later**

By the time Hyde pulled into one of the guest spots and put his van in park, the space around him and Jackie had gone completely silent. They had come to the end of the road. No more could they ignore the discussion that they had been putting off since the night before. No more could kisses disguise intentions. It was time to say something.

Through the rain, Jackie looked up at her apartment while, beside her, Hyde stared into the abyss of his steering wheel. All she could think was that it had all been so clear the morning before—the sky, their lives, their futures. But today, the world around them was veiled beneath storm clouds and turned inside out. Because, for the second time, she and Steven Hyde had let their mutual attraction consume them, but this time, the stakes were much higher than the minor bruising of Michael Kelso's fickle, teenage heart.

Grabbing her bag, Jackie tucked her hair behind her ear and turned her head left while Hyde turned his right. She held his gaze and tried to read his face, leaving her, in the end, with only one thing to say: "So, do you want to come inside?"

Hyde nodded, and both swung open their doors, stepping out into the storm…


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Sex, Lies, and Library Fines**

 **Music:**

Gypsy - Fleetwood Mac

Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer - Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes

Borderline - Madonna

* * *

 _August 24, 1977_

"… _Well, I'm going to go drive mine. Catch you guys later."_

 _No! Jackie screamed in her head. He was leaving. Without her!_

" _Wait. Wait, Steven. Where are you goin'?"_

" _What do you care?"_

" _I don't," she responded swiftly, suddenly aware of their company as Hyde walked out the door._

 _Jackie stood up. "Um… You know, I just remembered that I have to go to the mall." Slowly, she backed away, scouring her brain for an excuse. "Because they're having this big Monday Madness sale."_

" _Jackie, it's Tuesday."_

 _She opened the door, "See! Total Madness," and ran out, heading up the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her. "Steven!" she whispered harshly as she neared the top, relieved when Hyde stepped out in front of the midday summer sun and extended his arm out to her._

" _What took you so long," he whispered back, grabbing her hand to pull her across the driveway. "Did anyone follow you?"_

" _No," Jackie answered as she pulled at him to stop, causing him turn around and face her. "I thought you were being a jerk and leaving without me."_

" _Yeah, and you almost blew it for us," he snapped back._

" _Well, how was I supposed to know what you were doing? And plus, it was YOU who almost blew it by punching Michael."_

 _Jackie watched his stance become defensive as his expression quickly twisted into a scowl. "He was hitting on you."_

" _So?"_

" _So?" Hyde's lips pursed as she stared blankly at him, honestly not comprehending what the problem was. It wasn't like she was flirting back. "You know what, forget it. Let's just go," he wound up saying before he let go of her hand and walked around to the driver's side of the El Camino, only stopping when he realized that she hadn't moved. "You coming or not?"_

" _Well, duh," Jackie said. "But while we're making out, you better do some serious thinking about your attitude." She got inside the car and shut the door. "So where are we going anyway?"_

 _And with that arrogant, smartass grin that always drove her nuts, Hyde looked her up and then down. "Somewhere where I can do a lot of 'thinking'. Like your bedroom."_

 _Nodding, Jackie glanced around the usually busy Forman driveway. Turning back to him, she realized that the car hadn't moved. He was still busy checking out her legs. "Steven! Go before we get caught."_

 _Hyde waved her off. "Alright, alright. Calm down. We're not going to get caught," he assured her with complete and utter confidence as he turned the ignition. "You and I, we're way smarter than any of those dumb asses in there."_

 _In agreement, Jackie nodded sympathetically. "Better looking, too."_

" _That's right," Hyde agreed while he threw the gear in reverse and backed out. "Man, they'll never catch on to us."_

 _With an ecstatic smile, Jackie slapped his thigh and squeezed, smitten with his brilliance. "You know what, Steven? You're totally right. They're all too caught up in their own blah lives to see what's right in front of their stupid faces."_

 _At that, the young, new couple shared an egotistical laugh and shook their heads…_

So, I'm back to the velvet underground…

 **Wednesday, November 7, 1984**

 **Milwaukee Wisconsin**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 _Back to the floor that I love  
To a room with some lace and paper flowers..._

Clad in only a pink, satin slip, Jacquelyn Burkhart stared into her bathroom mirror and swayed to the music of Fleetwood Mac, completely unaware that every swing of her hips, every jut of her chest, was being memorized by drowsy blue eyes.

Too lost in her own world to notice, the glammed-up brunette tilted her head, as she continued to dance, and brushed through her long dark hair, noticing that she had missed a small section. So, with a frustrated exhale, she grabbed her crimping iron and clamped the stubborn lock down. It was then, as she waited, that Jackie smiled and dipped her finger into an old silver tin of watermelon lip gloss and rubbed the shiny flavor onto her wayward, duplicitous lips.

 _She is dancing away from you now  
She was just a wish, she was just a wish  
And her memory is all that is left for you now_

Lying on his side in the adjoining room, surrounded by hills of white fluff and flowers, Steven Hyde smirked wearily. He had been watching his ex-girlfriend groom herself for a little more than twenty minutes now, soaking in every last detail of her as he peered over the bedspread, completely captivated by what he saw. She was a woman now—a very grown, beautiful woman, sovereign in her own little 'Jackie' universe.

Everything about her was innately feminine and sexy. Even the way she had singed the tip of her thumb on that bright pink hair contraption, cursed like a sailor, and then sucked it gently between her lips—even that—had played out amazingly in her favor.

With an arch of his brow, Hyde inhaled deeply and snapped out from her hypnosis to look around the room he was in. It was mostly decorated in pink and white frill and littered with all kinds of girly crap—trinkets, clothes, and pictures, shoes and candles; all clean and welcoming

Some of the latter were lit around him, flickering against the darkness and giving her bedroom a cozy, warm glow. He had to admit that life with her had always been soft and comfortable. So much so that he hadn't wanted to leave it. He didn't want to leave it now. He didn't want to go from here to a cold hospital room or back to his lonely apartment. He wanted to stay and order in and lay down with his ex-girlfriend in time to catch Cheers. He wanted to make-out with her until the episode was over and then bitch and complain about how they'd missed it, about how she'd distracted him, and then make-out with her some more.

Raising the volume on the television—turned on by Jackie to keep him occupied while she dressed—Hyde briefly watched the five o'clock news. Stories of storm damage and rain-related deaths in the upper mid-west dominated the local broadcast. They were calling it the storm of the decade, even worse than the blizzard of '82, in terms of the death toll anyway.

Bored, Hyde's eyes drifted back toward the pretty girl in the bathroom and resumed watching the evening's best entertainment. This time, Jackie was leaned forward, her face mere inches from the mirror, making her silky little 'dress' rise perfectly.

Hyde grinned, caught when Jackie turned her head.

"Steven," she berated teasingly as her entire body spun around and began to slowly step toward him, an inquisitive, yet amused, look on her face. "Were you watching me?"

Hyde let his eyes and faint smirk answer her question while she closed in on him.

"You were," Jackie concluded with a smile. She flipped her eyes to the ceiling coyly before her knee hit the bed and her body followed, climbing over to straddle his, "It's 'cause I'm just too pretty," she shrugged shamelessly as Hyde placed his hands on her hips.

"You're beautiful," he corrected and let her prematurely celebrate with a vain, satisfied smile. "But…" he added critically. "You'd be even more beautiful if you'd shut the hell up about it."

"Steven." Her smile fell. "You know, Colin's gone and somebody's gotta say it and if I don't, then who will?"

"See," he showed her. "Not so pretty anymore."

"Steven." Jackie smacked his chest. "Be nice."

Hyde flipped his eyes upward and dammed back a smile. "Jackie, I was kidding." He sat up and yanked her body slightly forward, flush against his, to grab her attention. "Why don't you try _not_ talking about your boyfriend for five whole minutes, and, in exchange, I'll be nice."

Jackie cocked her head at him "Are you _jealous_?"

"No," he answered sternly. Her smile grew. " _No_ ," he repeated louder.

As Jackie sat, staring at her former lover, her living, breathing past, she searched for his thoughts. It was a daunting task, considering his eyes really didn't express much. No love, no hate, no anger nor hurt. He only pulled her closer, nuzzling the skin on her neck as he squeezed her body tightly against his. And as he began to kiss and nibble, something glaringly obvious occurred to her. He wasn't supposed to be here. This bed, her body, the skin that he was suckling, they all belonged to another man, one who had lovingly claimed them for his own, who had claimed to want them forever, who had claimed that he would submit his whole self just to have them…who had actually earned them.

She was about to stop Hyde, to remind him that they needed to talk when, to her surprise, he pulled his mouth away from her. "We need talk," he said, sighing. "We shouldn't be doing this."

"Wait, what," Jackie said, feeling rejected suddenly. It was she who was supposed to put an end to all this. Not him. "Oh, we're doin' this, mister…"

* * *

Three Minutes Later

Hyde squeezed his eyes shut as they sat, Jackie straddling his hips, on the center of the bed. Her mouth was making him fucking crazy—hot and wet and hungry for his. "Jackie," he growled irritably until gentle, feminine fingers with long, polished fingernails scraped gently up the back of his neck and into his hair. "Oh, fuck." Lips touched his as a warm, slippery, saccharine-coated tongue plunged into his mouth and, screw it all, he gave in. There seemed no other choice. A strange sort of fury filled him as their kisses grew frantic, not out of anger, but of lust and want and the fact that he was really fucking pissed off that he had to feel bad about wanting her, about wanting to kiss her and fuck her and watch fucking Cheers with her. She had been his once.

Grabbing a chunk of Jackie's freshly-crinkled hair to bring her mouth harder against his, Hyde reminded her of that fact. In fact, every time he kissed her, he was reminded of why they had been unable, all those years before, to let go of each other, even after the insistence of their friends. The problem was: they fit well together, and it felt good. From the very start, the attraction had been there. For him, anyway.

His lust for her mounting, Hyde coiled his arms around her waist and pulled her weight down on his clothed but erect shaft, groaning at the sharp pleasure. With an agonizing need that he couldn't recall feeling in recent months, he had to have her. Somehow, in the hours between last night and now, restraint had completely ceased to exist. His body needed hers; it needed to be inside her like it needed oxygen and beer, and there was no more self-control to insist he stop. Jackie was _his_. That's how his body felt in the moment anyway. She was fucking his.

Lost in his own desire, Hyde made their bodies rise until he was lying over her, pushing her slip above the dip of her bellybutton where he began to bite and kiss and taste the skin that he had claimed for himself long ago. These were his legs that were draped over him, his fingers that were gripping and pulling at his hair, they all belonged to him. She belonged to him. For now.

* * *

 **Forman Basement**

 **Same Time**

The sound of footsteps coming from Hyde's old room caused Donna to crane her neck back to catch sight of the silliest thing she'd ever seen. Immediately, a giant belly laugh escaped her lungs and brought the basement to life as Eric put his arms out and smiled.

"Huh! Right! What do you think?"

Donna nearly fell to the floor laughing. "Oh, my God, Eric, that's hilarious!" she gasped through her guffaws.

"What?" he exclaimed, his eyebrow arched as he adjusted his beret. "I look good."

A grating snort left the redhead's nose as she finally fell onto the floor beneath the couch. "You look like you should be reading poetry in a beatnik bar."

"Yeah, laugh it up, Chuckles," Eric said, taking a seat on Hyde's old chair as his fiancé continued to laugh. "You'll see. Berets are coming back."

Sitting back against the foot of the couch, Donna pulled herself together and scrunched her nose. "Aw, my little French fry, so are all those junior high ass-kickings if you don't take that ridiculous thing off."

"I don't care," he said. "I like it."

"Eric! Donna!" they heard, accompanied by the barreling feet of Michael Kelso as he trotted down the basement steps, followed by his bride-to-be. "What's…Oh!" Kelso's jaw dropped in amused shock as he gave the room a goofy grin. "Nice beret, Eric," he snickered as Donna joined in. "You lose a bet or what?"

"Alright, ha ha," Eric smiled and nodded, gesturing for the taller man to bring it on as Brooke took a seat next to Donna on the couch. "Let's have it. Just get it all out of your systems now."

"I thought only gay guys and college geeks wore berets. Op! I guess I was right!" Kelso teased, laughing at his own joke as Eric nodded and encouraged more with a few more 'bring it on' waves of his fingers. Excited for the challenge, Kelso's smile grew. "Uh, uh, a lame French guy called! He wants his lame hat back!"

Eric nodded as Kelso cracked up at himself. "Is that it?"

The taller man's smile fell. "Yeah, I'm done," he grumbled as he hopped up on the dryer. "I'll think of some doozies later. So, you just be ready for that," he pointed.

Shaking her head, Donna turned her attention to Brooke. "So, where are the kids?"

"Upstairs with Eric's mom," Brooke said. "She's going to watch them while we visit Leo."

"Hey, so has anybody talked to Hyde yet?" Kelso directed at the redhead.

"No, we still can't find him." Donna answered. "I called like ten times."

It was then, while Brooke was staring at Eric's hideous hat, that she noticed the skinny boy staring at her strangely. Her scowl grew deeper when he waggled his eyebrows and widened his eyes suggestively at her. And when his finger poked in and out of the hole his other hand was making, her mouth fell. Was he…Was he hitting on her?

"Okay, kids!" They could hear elatedly from upstairs. "Who wants some of Grandma Kitty's famous peanut butter balls?"

"I do!" Kelso screeched, making a run for the stairs.

"Kelso, I think she was talking to your kids," Donna laughed and turned to Brooke. "Yeah, the last time she made those, she was drunk and accidentally laced them with…Oh, crap!" Donna shot up from the couch and followed Kelso's path up the stairs. "Kids! Don't eat Grandma Kitty's balls!"

That left Brooke and Eric alone in the basement. Noticing, Eric smiled and raised his eyebrows, taking a quick glance up the steps. "Finally," he purred. "Now we can talk…alone."

Brooke stood up. "You pervert! You get a beret and all of a sudden you're some sort of sexual deviant?"

"What? No," Eric stood up, too. "I just meant that, you know, the thing about Jackie and Hyde. I figured you might know more than I do."

Brooke narrowed her eyes. "And what do you know?" she asked suspiciously, taking an aggressive step forward as Eric swallowed hard and stepped back.

"You know," gulp, "about Halloween."

"What about Halloween? They only kissed," the brunette reminded him, or so she thought. "Right?"

She took another step forward, causing Eric's body to tense as his eyes grew round in the face of a serious ass mangling from Hyde. "Oh…right," he fibbed, backing toward the basement stairs. "Yeah. Just kissed… _What?"_ he yelled, cupping his hand over his ear. "What was that, Ma? Sure, I'd love some balls!"

"Wait!" Brooke stopped him mid-take-off. "Don't even think about it, Twitchy. What do you know?" she asked, giving him a light push.

Eric gulped. "Nothing."

"Liar," the librarian accused angrily as she pinned him to the stair's railing and poked him in the chest. "You better fess up right now, because I've got ways of making men talk."

"Such as…" he led.

Brooke folded her arms. "Such as I think Donna would be interested to know that you've been checking out a lot of books lately on the mating habits of barnyard animals."

Eric scowled. "But I haven't been to the library." Then his face fell and expressed a mixed look of respect and stoicism. "Oh, I see. Well played, madam. Well played."

"Spill it," Brooke demanded.

His stoicism growing, Eric raised his chin. "I'll talk. But first," he narrowed his eyes poignantly. "I have some last requests."

"What?"

"I have a sixteen-dollar library fine at the college. I want a full pardon."

Brooke thought about it. "I'll have to talk to my people. What's the other thing?"

"When I'm gone," Eric added, anticipating the painful death that would befall him once a certain record store owner discovered the betrayal. "I want Donna protected."

Understanding, Brooke nodded. "Done. Now, spill."

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

As Jackie lay still, silently staring at the ceiling alongside one of her high school sweethearts, she finally began to feel the physical effects of the comedown. Every high had one. Every high, by nature, had its corresponding low. That feeling was never meant to be free. She sighed. No. It came with a price.

Beside her, out of view, Hyde's body rested, naked and exhausted, and Jackie wondered, when exactly had she become a home-wrecking whore?

Pulling the sheets over her breasts, Jackie rolled onto her stomach, closing her eyes as she tried to ignore the warm hand that immediately began to stroke her back. After an entire life of making plans for tomorrow, all she could now do was hunker down in the moment. Thinking beyond that only caused an agonizing sense of anxiety to churn mercilessly in her gut. With every passing hour, from the moment the month had begun, she had dug herself deeper into this mistake, giving in to every temptation and bodily pleasure, assisting Hyde in his pursuit of the same. But it was all crashing down around her, and after nearly seventeen hours of ecstasy, Jackie was coming down. Hard.

"Jackie," her accomplice's voice called softly from behind, followed by a light kiss between her shoulder blades.

"Huh?" she replied vacantly, finding some comfort in the traveling drops of rain that dotted her window.

"I've gotta go."

Why those words made her feel as though she were the only person left on the planet, she wasn't sure. But loneliness, or the fear of it anyway, actually explained a lot. Would she have slept with Steven if Colin had never left? Probably not. No. Most-definitely not.

"You're going to wait fifteen minutes before you leave, right?" he asked her a moment later as his head came to rest on her back, his soft curls tickling her skin. "Because you know they're all going to be there."

"Uh-huh," she let out with a slow breath, barely registering his words as she watched a single raindrop make the long journey down from the top of her window, zigzagging like a Plinko puck until it eventually reached the bottom.

"Hey," she heard him hum quietly. "I think I'm going to go home afterward, grab some stuff and come back here. Is that okay?"

Jackie remained quiet, suddenly feeling the dull pressure of a headache coming on. Maybe he would just go away, make the decision for her.

"Jackie?"

Because, as much as she liked to believe that she was a strong, decisive woman, when it came to certain men in her life, she was putty. Slutty putty.

Upon another unanswered call of her name, silence finally arrived. He must have given up. He was quiet for such a long while after, at least as long as it took for three more raindrops to, one by one, follow the path of the first. His curls soon left her back, and she heard a sigh, a soft one, not one of frustration, which is what she had been expecting from her short-tempered ex-lover.

But then Hyde spoke again, surprising her, so low that she could barely hear. "Did you change your mind?"

Jackie shut her eyes again, aware of the crossroads spanned before her, like the many she had so callously ignored in the past week. Had she ever made up her mind in the first place? Opening her eyes, she turned back to find the matured face of the shabby boy she had stalked in youth. Something about him had always captivated her. Maybe it was his shabbiness or his rough edges or the fact that he was the only boy unwilling to give her a second glance, besides Eric. Whatever it was, it had been impossible to ignore. And because of it, she'd fallen so deeply in love with him that she thought him perfect.

Absolutely _perfect._

But he wasn't. Not at all. And she'd found that out the hard way.

And now, here he was again, all grown up, threatening to blind her once again.

The only thing was: he looked so sweet, so sexy as he did it, as he waited for her answer.

"I feel guilty right now," she confessed to him, sitting up to close her arms around his neck. "But then sometimes I don't feel guilty at all. I'm so confused, Steven."

Hyde sighed. "Yeah, me, too."

She cupped his rough, stubbly jaw line. "What's wrong with us?"

'I don't know,' he mouthed and looked down, satisfying her selfish desire to bring him down with her. If she was going to feel like crap, then so was he, damn it. But the shame on his face made her guilt only grow, and she immediately regretted bursting his little bubble of contentment. He had been happy for a moment. He had still been high from their lovemaking.

"Hey," she said, "Wait here. I want to show you something."

After Jackie wrapped the sheet around her body, Hyde watched her leave, then moved to the edge of the bed to grab his clothes and dress. Just as he finished, shoes and all, Jackie walked in again, carrying a stack of pictures. Sitting down on the bed, she handed him the photos.

Without a word, he looked at what she was offering. The first picture was of her and Colin, sitting on, what looked like, Kelso's couch, both frowning at the camera but cuddled closely together. He immediately moved on. The next was similar. But the next was different; they were kissing through smiles of laughter.

"What the hell is this?" he asked her with a sneer of new disdain.

"They're pictures of me and Colin."

"Yeah, I can see that. Why the hell do I have 'em?"

"Because," she replied. "I want you to see why I love him." As she steadfastly held his gaze, Jackie took the pictures back. "Because I do…love him, Steven. Nothing's changed that."

Hyde wasn't sure what she expected him to say. Though, he felt a strange sense of relief mixed with a pang of disappointment. "Well, good. Because I'm still with Jessica."

Jackie gave him a sad smile. "Well, that's good, Steven. She's really nice." Awkwardly, she looked down. The quiet was deafening. "I'm really happy that you found someone."

"Yeah," he muttered, almost to himself, the disappointment smothering his relief. He may not have wanted her in the way that he did in his youth. But some part of him still wanted some part of her. Maybe it was only physical. He didn't know, but, what he did know now was that she still wanted to be with Colin. She wanted her boyfriend. "I guess I should go then."

Quicker than he meant to, Hyde stood up and was instantly struck dizzy. He'd been lying down today more than he was used to. He'd been lying with her. Standing still with his back to Jackie, Hyde waited for his head to clear and his feet to move. But instead of forward, they turned him around. Going by experience, he knew that if he walked out like this, right now, that it would be difficult to get back to this comfortable place with her. And he liked it here. More than he thought he would.

"When does, um…Colin get back?" he asked, too wary to even look at her.

"The 19th," she answered. "What about Je…"

"The 17th," he swiftly answered.

Suddenly Jackie moved, drawing his attention with her as she took a few steps toward her nightstand. Opening the top drawer, she reached inside and pulled out something he couldn't see. For some reason, she wouldn't look him in the eyes as she walked over to him and grabbed his hand, turning his palm up to place a small key dead center.

"In case I'm asleep," she said and stunned him with bright green and blue. He stared into her eyes, thinking to himself that she seemed even more beautiful than ever. White sheets really suited her, especially against her long dark hair, hung over her _soft, creamy, porcelain skin_.

Dumbfounded, Hyde nodded.

"I'll be fifteen minutes behind you," she told him, rising to her tiptoes to give him a kiss on his cheek.

With that, he left, telling himself the entire way back to his van that he could stop whenever he wanted. He just didn't want to. Not yet…

* * *

 **Kenosha Medical Center**

The sweet smell of rain was everywhere as Jackie turned her eyes up to the night sky. She had been leaning against her car for several minutes now, trying to rally her nerves and tame her emotions before she went inside. Warm, excited feelings, ones that she hadn't experienced in years, were slowly returning home to her chest, back from wherever they had ventured. Feelings about him, except this time, they were being felt by her experienced heart, bruised and battered, but beating with determined prudence nonetheless. She wasn't going to let him pull her in this time. He wasn't going to get inside.

Looking back at the busy world around her—frantic people rushing into the hospital to see loved ones, a sad old man walking out alone—Jackie decided that she had waited long enough and began to head toward the bright lights of the emergency room.

Past the chaos and up the elevator, she finally reached the third floor that housed a very sick Leo. Stopping short of his room, Jackie took a deep breath, reapplied her lip gloss and tried to get the 'I just had sex with someone I shouldn't have' look off her face. Taking another deep breath, she planted a fake smile on her face and flounced into the room where she saw Brooke and Eric standing over a sitting Hyde, looking like a punished child with his head down.

"Hey," Jackie said in her usual, cheerful tone.

Brooke's head snapped toward her, her eyes full of fire and surprise. "Don't 'hey' me," the librarian spouted and stormed toward Jackie with a stiff finger pointed at a very tortured-looking Hyde, who only stared vacantly at the floor. "How could you not tell me that you slept with him? I'm supposed to be one of your best friends."

Jackie's heart dropped below her knees while her stomach rocketed to her throat, wringing a small gasp as her gaze shot back over to Hyde. Panicked, Jackie's first instinct was to deny the accusation, lie her firm-but-shapely butt off until Brooke screamed in frustration, and then run like hell, but she was too angry to even try.

"Steven," Jackie shouted instead. "Why would you tell them?"

Hyde looked over at her and tossed up his hands in defense. "Hey, don't look at me." He pointed at Eric. "It was my soon-to-be-screaming-out-in-pain best friend who ratted us out."

Jackie turned her anger toward the skinny twerp. "Eric! How could you?!" But something popped into her head. Something was wrong. "Wait." Jackie frowned, shifting her attention back to Hyde. "How does he even know?"

"Because _he_ ," Brooke interjected with another finger aimed at Hyde, "tells his best friend things!"

Jackie gasped. "Steven!" She wanted to kill him. Her purse practically swung itself around to hit him in back of his big, fat, secret-spilling head. "You idiot!"

"Ow!" he shouted, grabbing his skull. "Damn it, Jackie! That fuckin' hurt!"

"You told Eric about last night?" she yelled at him. "You know he can't keep secrets! He's a terrible liar!"

Eric's face scrunched in confusion. "Wait, last night?"

"Last night," Brooke followed, just as perplexed.

"No," Hyde growled, finally getting up from his seat to step into Jackie's face. "I told him about Halloween, _Jackie._ Your _big mouth_ just told them about last night."

Her face falling, Jackie sulked into her own skin. "Oh," she smiled painfully at Hyde. "Oops."

"Yeah," Hyde said, scooting closer to her in a show of solidarity. "Just shut up from here on out. Don't say another word."

Eric glanced between the two of them. Hyde, then Jackie, and then Hyde again; both looking guiltier than two fat guys in a Twinkie factory. With narrowed eyes and a melodramatically arched eyebrow, he nodded. "Oh. So… that's where you two were last night. Off doing…sex things to each other while the rest of us sat here with Leo."

"Hey. Watch it, Forman," Hyde warned. "I meant to come see Leo."

"Yeah, it's not like we planned to get stuck in Chicago," Jackie added in his defense.

"Chicago?" Brooke repeated quizzically. "Jackie, what was he doing with you in…" Stopping herself, Brooke brought her hands up to her eyes and sighed, trying her best to gather her thoughts before she went too far and pushed her friend away with rash accusations and unfair judgment. "Jackie," she began again, more calmly this time as she took a deep breath. "Why would you sleep with him? I mean…You know what a complete jerk he is."

Hyde grimaced at Kelso's soon-to-be wife. "Hey."

"I know," Jackie whined in agreement, thinking back to every tear and every gripe about Hyde that she had laid upon her friend's welcoming shoulder almost a lifetime ago. "I know."

"Hey." Hyde turned his sneer toward Jackie, wondering when the hell everyone forgot he was still in the room. What the hell? They had talked about what a jerk he was?

"Come on, Jackie. Spill it!" the taller girl demanded, growing frustrated with Jackie's purposeful silence. "Right now! What is going between you two?"

"I'd start spilling fast, too, young lady," Eric threw in from behind Brooke. "Because for a librarian, she's ruthless. She's got ways. Like the mob. She's like the mob!"

At that, Brooke nodded while she and her twitchy partner folded their arms and stared expectantly at Jackie. Neither bothered with Hyde, though—who stood with his arms folded in defiance—both knowing that he would denounce Zeppelin before he would buckle to threats.

Jackie, on the other hand, was a wounded gazelle stumbling along the edge of the herd.

"Fine!" the theatrical brunette confessed loudly, throwing her hands up in surrender. "Steven and I…"

"Jackie, don't," Hyde said, trying to cut off her poisoned words as he grabbed her arms. But it was too late.

"We're having an affair!" she blurted out, throwing her face into her hands while Hyde immediately dropped his head backwards in exasperation and wandered away. "But we can stop whenever we want," Jackie argued, looking at her friend with sincerity. "I swear, Brooke. I'm not back there."

"Well, then stop," Brooke insisted, her voice falling back into its usual soft tone, infinitely laced with concern for her friend.

The naiveté of this fairly new member of their gang prompted Eric to roll his eyes, though. Brooke was clueless to the levels of stupidity that his best friend could reach in the presence of hers.

Jackie nodded. "We will. We'll stop."

"Wait a minute," Eric sang suspiciously as he stepped around Brooke to stand between the two girls. "I don't think we can trust a single word that comes out of her lyin' mouth, Brooke," he canted with a distrustful look that was directed at small brunette that he had spent years watching his friends fight over, who, he was pretty sure, bled hellfire. "Because she tried this once before," he told Brooke, his eyes locked in battle with Jackie's. "Oh, yeah. This 'We can stop whenever we want' malarkey, the last time we heard it, there began two of the darkest years in Point Place history."

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Oh, it wasn't that bad, you beret-wearing spaz."

"Oh, it was that bad, Yoko," Eric shot back, adjusting his beret. "So why don't you just sit your cheatin', hat-hatin' ass down."

Having had enough, Hyde crossed back through the scene and pushed Eric into a nearby chair. "You sit the hell down before I kick your ass, Forman," he said, taking the seat next to Eric and ripping off the beret off his head. "And take this damn thing off before I beat you with it."

Rolling her eyes, Brooke focused back on her friend. "Look, Jackie. This is wrong. You're cheating on Colin and you need to stop. This isn't fair to him."

Eric scoffed beside Hyde, terminally unafraid as he placed his beret back on his head. "They're both wrong. And they both need to stop."

"Stop what?" Donna's voice suddenly rang out, saving Eric's life and startling the foursome into silence. They may not have agreed on much, but they could all deduce that neither Donna nor Kelso needed to know about the ex-couple's complete lack of self-control.

Shooting up from his chair, Eric smiled nervously at his fiancé. "Uh…Stop…drop and roll, that's what!" His shaky thumb swung back and forth between Jackie and Hyde as he tried to find his tongue. "Brooke and I … we're just… we're trying to explain the importance of fire safety to these two dummies." His voice rose to his previous level of agitation. "Because they obviously have no respect for it, Donna! And it's just...it's _sickening!"_

"And wrong!" Brooke added angrily.

"Totally wrong!" Eric shook his head at the culpable pair. "You both disgust me."

Staring at her perspiring beret-wearing boyfriend, Donna's expression twisted into one of complete bewilderment until she noticed her friend and smiled. "Jackie. Hey." She gave her a hug. "Why didn't you call me back? I left, like, three messages on your machine."

"Oh, I was busy," Jackie nodded during her unreasonably long pause. "…giving blood."

Donna frowned curiously. "But you don't believe in giving."

Shrugging, Jackie just turned up her palms. "I know…Weird, right?"

"Yeah," the redhead responded with a frown before shrugging off her friends' strange behavior. "Hey, look who I found outside. Poor little guy was practically frozen."

Donna stepped to the side to reveal Fez, wet and shivering, with a sourpuss scowl on his face.

"Hey, Fez," Hyde said, frowning at his friend's condition. "What's up, man?"

"What's up?" Fez stammered through his convulsions. "Let me tell you what is up. None of you bastards told me that Leo was hurt, I've been searching these buildings for an hour, and my balls are shriveled up to the size of raisins! That is 'what's up', you sons and daughters of several bitches!"

"Oh, man," Eric said. "We're really sorry, Fez."

Jackie reached out to him. "Oh, Fezzy. Are you alri…"

"No," Fez spat, whipping his head to the side as he yanked his arm away and stepped back. "I cannot be consoled."

Suddenly, amidst the silence, an oblivious Kelso walked in with a tray full of white Styrofoam cups. "Hey, Fez. You want some cocoa?"

The foreigner grinned happily, "Ooh, cocoa," and immediately took a cup before glancing around the room and quickly winking at Eric. "Snazzy beret."

* * *

One Hour and Thirty-Seven Minutes Later

8 PM

The group of seven friends sat spread throughout Leo's room and laughed as they told stories about the unconscious man. It was mostly Hyde, though. He had the most to tell. Most of the time, he sat relaxed in a chair beside Leo, while nearby, Eric and Donna sat on the window sill together holding hands. A few feet away from them, on a small chair, sat Kelso with Brooke on his lap, both too busy cuddling and sneaking kisses to notice what was going on around them. At the foot of Leo's bed was Fez, resting with his head laid on his folded arms. And finally, across from Hyde, was Jackie, who sneaked herself a demure glance from across the bed and caught her lover's eye. It was becoming increasingly difficult to steal those looks when they wanted. Someone was always paying attention. But there were brief moments, like these, when they could make eye contact and maybe even share a small smile, if time allowed.

Interrupting the pair's flirtatious game, though, was Leo's nurse. "Okay, folks. It's eight o'clock. Visiting hours are over," she sang, chomping on her gum as she changed out Leo's I.V. "Have a good night."

Everyone got up, gathering their things as they slowly shuffled their way out. Fez walked ahead with Kelso and Brooke while Eric, Donna, Jackie and Hyde fell behind, allowing Hyde to tug on Jackie's fingers as they walked.

"Hey," he leaned in close and whispered to her. "I'll be over in an hour." Without another word, he quickly moved past her and punched Eric in his shoulder.

"Ow, man. What the hell," Eric griped, rubbing the sore spot.

"Meet me at my store tomorrow, after your class," Hyde told him. "I'm going to need your help."

Jackie watched Hyde catch up to Fez and walk off with him in one direction as she stayed back with Eric and Donna to head in another. All the whispers and secrecy had her feeling like a criminal. Or, maybe a spy, she imagined, a hot, sexy spy. Yeah, that was better. That was classy. _That_ was Jackie Burkhart…

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **8:27 PM**

Hyde made it back to Point Place in record time and immediately rushed to pack a bag, giving himself enough clothing for two days. He wasn't planning on staying more than the night. but it didn't hurt to play it safe. He exited his bedroom carrying a small, blue duffel bag. Passing the bathroom, he ducked inside to grab his toothbrush, some toothpaste, and his deodorant, shoving it all into his bag before heading for the kitchen.

Having skipped dinner in exchange for sex, Hyde was now starving, practically salivating as he hurriedly made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—the only food in the whole place. Leaned against his counter, Hyde looked around while he quickly scarfed down his meal and noticed his answering machine blinking red.

"Crap." He had messages.

With an annoyed heave, Hyde leaned over and poked the large message button. A long beep ushered in two messages as he leaned back and waited. The first was from W.B.

"Hey, son. I just talked to the insurance man. Name's Fontane. He wants you to have that claim forms filled out by Friday. He's being a real pompous ass about it, so try to have it done, OK? Oh, and don't let that honky get ya down. Just remember you're richer than he is. Oh, wait. That's me." Hyde smiled and shook his head as his father cracked up at his own lame joke and hung up.

A second beep followed, along with the excited voice of his girlfriend.

"Hey, baby! Pick up. You there? Oh, Steven, I had the best day! You have no idea. Honey? Okay, well just call me when you get this! I love you!"

Pert kissing noises followed, and Hyde's head fell. He knew this would happen. He had known what her voice would do to him. She sounded so freaking happy. Dropping his half-eaten sandwich, Hyde picked up the phone and dialed Minneapolis. Jackie would have to wait…

* * *

 **One Hour Later**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

She had her prettiest nighty on, the lacy white one with the little pink, embroidered flowers at the hem. It was new, the only one she hadn't worn for Colin yet. That detail saddened her, though, as she scooted back against the arm of her couch and swept her fingernails over the lacy pattern. He would have loved it. He was simple like that, not interested in slutty-looking outfits but, rather pretty, sexy ones. Ones that contrasted her dark hair, showed off her tan legs, and made her look beautiful.

Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, Jackie pulled her knees to her chest and looked at the clock that sat on her end table. Hyde was probably just late. It was raining again. Maybe there was an accident blocking traffic, slowing him down. Maybe he had stopped to buy her something pretty, like affair roses or mistress jewelry. Some of her mother's most beautiful pieces had come from her married lovers.

Whatever the case, Hyde would find his way back. He would come.

Staring into the flame of her lavender-scented candle, Jackie settled in and tried to imagine all the things that would keep him…

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

Hyde smiled. "Yeah, I remember. We almost got caught."

On the other end of the line, Jessica breathed in a way that told him she had smiled, too, and it made his heart actually, physically ache with guilt. It was the worst feeling in the world. She was so damned happy tonight. Her presentation had gone well and her father had praised her for once. _"Oh! Do you remember the ice cream cone hat?"_ she asked, giggling.

He smiled again and laid back onto his bed, tucking his arms beneath the cool cotton of his favorite pillow, the one that still smelled of her perfume. "It's kind of hard to forget the ice cream cone hat, babe."

" _I know. God, that was fun."_

She was quiet as he settled in, only blowing soft breaths over the line, giving him the feeling that she was with him in his dark bedroom, beside him as usual.

"Jess?"

" _I'm here."_

"I miss you…"

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **11 PM**

Glancing again at her clock, Jackie realized that it had only been two minutes since the last time she checked it. She was starting to worry about him. What if he was hurt? What if there was a car accident? It was so bad outside. Wind and rain battered at her window.

Jackie quickly sat up on her couch and grabbed the remote control, hastily flipping through stations until she found the late-night news. Sitting back, she fidgeted with the little pink flowers that sat at her thighs and watched for Hyde…

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **11:25 PM**

"I will," Hyde said and shut his eyes. "I know you do…I don't know…Jess, I don't know, okay." Suddenly, out of nowhere, he laughed. "No, you won't…Yeah…Uh-huh…Yeah, I know…Okay…Fine. Kiss…Bye."

When Hyde heard the disconnecting click, he set the receiver down and groaned. How the hell could he screw around on that. Swinging his legs around, he sat at the edge of his bed and smoothed his hands over his growing beard, taking a glance at his clock.

It was after eleven, two and a half hours after he told Jackie he'd be there. But there was no way he was going now. Remorse had him shackled to his apartment. Jessica had been so goddamn trusting, never again questioning his trip to Chicago. Most likely, she was just too damn happy to hear from him to even remember to bring it up. And Jackie, she was probably asleep anyway. It didn't matter, though, if she was. He wasn't going. Hyde thought about calling her but decided against it. She wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't owe her an explanation. He didn't owe her a thing. She had known he was taken from the beginning. _She_ was taken. She—Hyde stood up and sighed—was waiting for nothing…

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **11:51 PM**

 _A worn record spins 'Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer'_

 _by Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes on an older looking turntable_

 _Just look at you sitting there  
You never looked better than tonight  
And it'd be so easy to tell ya I'd stay  
Like I've done so many times _

Staring at her reflection in her bedroom mirror, Jackie ran her fingertips slowly down her nightgown, tracing every delicate floral line before looking into her own eyes. Her make-up was a mess, her mascara reduced to streaks of black liquid that discolored her normally flawless cheeks. She was pathetic. Sloppily, she rubbed it all away and whipped off her gown, tossing it to the floor and kicking the damned thing away. "Jerk!"

After she threw on a flannel nightgown and pulled her hair into a ponytail, Jackie gave her reflection one last disappointed glance and moved to walk away. Her legs had different plans, though, wobbling beneath her until she just sat down on her bedroom floor.

As Jackie looked around her tainted bedroom, the tears became silent sobs, coming faster and harder as she tucked her legs to her chest to hug herself. His phone had been busy all night and she knew exactly what must have happened. It didn't make her feel any less used, though. It didn't make her feel any less foolish for believing that he had changed, and not just for the strawberry blonde that seemed to have him wrapped tightly around her finger, but for himself and for the people around him. But what felt worse was that she had actually believed he would never again have the power to reduce her to her bedroom floor in tears. That was what hurt the most: her own stupidity.

 _Don't fall in love with a dreamer_ _  
_ _'Cause he'll always take you in  
Just when you think you've really changed him  
He'll leave you again… _

_September 18, 1979_

 _Her heart had twisted into a knot the moment she saw the pretty blonde._

 _She had called him 'baby'._

" _Who the hell is that?" she remembered asking._

" _This is Sam," he said. "She's a str…exotic dancer I met in Vegas. I'm sorry, what are you doing here?"_

 _The blond was smiling at him, as if they'd known each other for years. As if he were hers. "Don't you remember? We got married?"_

 _Thinking back, Jackie was pretty sure she had said something before running off, but she couldn't remember what. She just ran to get away. As fast as she could. She didn't want to hear another word. She didn't want to know._

 _Her feet carried her all the way home. The pain in her lungs from running seven blocks did little to affect her mood. She walked into her house and immediately went to her bedroom to clean of all things. For hours, she threw away things and moved around others, without much thought for what they were. Her chest was shaking so much that the muscles in her back and chest were on fire, but she wouldn't cry. Hell no. She fought through it for several hours, shivering and swallowing down the tears that wanted to come. A few got away from her but she wiped them away neatly and just continued to clean her room._

 _The childlike hope that still lived inside her back then was waiting for him to come, to call, to explain, to see if she was okay, to say goodbye, to say something… anything. He loves me, she told herself. He'll come for me. But no one came. No one was coming. And what she didn't know back then was that no one ever would. Eventually, her body collapsed to the floor as her breath stopped, choking her until the tears came spilling out, a sharp, gasping sob finally breaking through as it hit her. He was someone else's baby…_

 _Don't fall in love with a dreamer  
'Cause he'll break you every time  
Oh, put out the light and just hold on  
Before we say goodbye…_

Jackie opened her eyes and looked around, happy to discover that she was finished feeling sorry for herself. Compared to _that_ night, this was nothing. Why was she even upset? So, he didn't come. So, what? To hell with him. It was his loss.

Straightening her legs, the brunette furrowed her brow line and ordered herself to stop feeling crummy. She had a good life now. She had friends now who cared about her, who would come running, seven blocks or more, to see if she was alright. She had a man who had no interest in skanky-looking women. He would have scoffed at Sam and laughed at the idea of choosing such trash over his beautiful girlfriend.

Jackie smiled. The day she had told him about Sam, he had sneered in disgust and quickly told her that Hyde was a fool and a "complete fuckhead." He had shaken his head and smiled and kissed her. It was his gain.

With a poignant smile, Jackie rose from the floor and ambled into the living room. She wasn't going to pretend that she wasn't sad, that she didn't feel discarded again, but she wasn't going to let it ruin her, like she had done before.

Stepping into her kitchen, the comfortably-dressed brunette opened her fridge and pulled out a block of cheese. Within minutes, she had slices cut up with some crackers on a plate and a tall glass of milk on the counter, ready for consumption for when Johnny Carson made her laugh and forget. But as she went to go pick up her plate, the telephone rang…

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **One Minute Earlier**

Hyde sat on his couch with his head in his hands, fighting through his memories of the last twenty-four hours. He actually missed Jackie. He actually wondered what the hell she was doing all alone in her apartment. He wished he was there with her.

But there was an obligation to Jessica that he felt holding him still. Somewhere deep inside, he thought that she might be the one he would marry someday. She was exactly what he wanted. She would never leave him. She would always love him. No matter what. She told him that. And he believed her.

Glancing at the phone, Hyde scooted over. Tired of feeling guilty, he decided to just be a fucking man and call Jackie. Maybe she would understand. She had to. There was no other choice…

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

"Hello?"

" _Hey."_

Jackie sighed at the sound of his voice. "Colin," she breathed out. Her nose was stinging for him, the pain spreading through her face as she heard him draw in a deep breath for her. "Baby…"

" _I'm sorry,"_ he said quietly. _"I'm really sorry, Jackie."_ She was quiet, trying her best to calm the strangled sensation in her throat. The last thing she wanted was for him to hear that she was crying. _"Jackie…Look. I know I should've called earlier. But… I don't know; I was really pissed off."_ There was another heavy inhale from him. He was struggling, trying to find the words, and part of her wanted so badly to scream into the phone that she was sorry, that she had betrayed him. But she wouldn't. It would make him disappear forever. _"I didn't want to be an asshole to you. I would've been if I had called earlier. I hate fighting with you. I love you."_

"I love you, too."

" _Then why are we fighting?"_

"I don't know."

" _I'm sorry. I really am."_

Jackie shook her head, guilt ripping her senses apart as her head began to pound. "Please stop saying you're sorry, Colin. Please."

" _Why? You're always yelling at me to apologize."_

"I know, but I'm not going to do that anymore," the brunette swore as she dragged her phone cord across her living room and sat on the couch. "God, baby, I will never, ever, be mad at you, ever again. I just want you to come home. You can quit. I don't care anymore."

" _You're serious?"_

"I'm dead serious."

" _You don't care if I quit my job?"_

Pulling her hair loose from its ponytail, Jackie lay back and sunk in; yanking some more cord along with her. "No. In fact, I want you to." It was funny how the sound of one person's voice could change everything, could turn your whole day around. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the rhythm of his respirations and the distinctive pronunciation of his words.

" _Alright. I'll quit then. But I can't just leave these guys, Jackie. I have to finish this one out."_

"I know," she said. "Just…don't ever leave me again, okay? Promise me." The words came out sadder than she had meant for them to and the inflection in her voice rose with the incrimination of her frame of mind. "I can't do this anymore, Colin."

" _Jackie, what's the matter?"_

"Nothing," she quickly said, suddenly wishing she could hold the man on the other line, let his body make her forget about the kisses that had her heart aching for another only hours before. "I just don't want to lose you."

" _Jackie, I love you."_

"But do you miss me?"

He laughed, and the sound made her smile. _"Sweetheart, I miss you like crazy."_

Upon hearing those words, so sincerely meant for only her, Jackie smiled through her tears. It felt exhilarating. He felt exhilarating. "So then…" she began, deciding to just talk to her boyfriend, ask him a million questions so she could just listen to him speak. His accent still made her swoon. "Spill it. How many pretty, expensive things have you bought me so far…"

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **Twenty Minutes Later**

"Damn it," Hyde slammed down the phone. Her line was still busy and he was growing more and more frustrated by the minute. Why didn't he call earlier? And who the hell was she talking to? He got off the couch and interlaced his fingers over his head, quickly making the decision to stop worrying about it. It wasn't his business.

Making his way back to his bedroom, Hyde pulled off his shirt and collapsed onto his bed, still wearing the jeans from Chicago. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and craved sleep.

It had been a long day with her. It had been an even longer night without her. Crap, he actually missed her. It was driving him nuts. Shutting his eyes to think, he realized that what he craved more than sleep was a warm body to hold, smooth skin to touch, and soft lips to kiss. The sick part about it, though, was that he couldn't decide whose.

"God, this fuckin' sucks," he grumbled and rolled to his side as he threw the perfume-scented pillow across the room and shoved his own over his ears. And as he lay there, alone in the dark, he prayed for sound sleep, for one dreamless, guilt-free night, for a chance to go back…

* * *

 **The Next Day**

 **Thursday, November 8, 1984**

 **Grooves Record Store**

It had been his sanctuary. It had been the only thing from his youth that he had not completely screwed up, that had been made better because of him. It was his baby. Now it was in shambles, like everything else in his life.

Stepping through dirty water, over soggy record covers and the shredded remnants of a Van Halen poster, Hyde felt like he might actually cry. "I can't believe this crap," he grumbled as freezing water slowly seeped through to his socks. "Damn it."

"Hey, look," he heard behind him and turned around to find his best friend holding a soggy 'Pat Benatar' record. "Pat Benatar's all wet," Eric said smirking, nodding and obviously trying to make his friend smile, too.

It worked.

"Nice," Hyde responded with a silent, but giddy, chuckle.

Eric made the same journey Hyde had, his feet getting soaked, too, until they both found a dry island inside the listening pit. "Man, look at this place," Eric observed out loud. "Hey, where was Leo?"

Hyde's thumb responded, pointing in the direction of the pile of dry wall and wood that was once his office.

"Man, that's awful," Eric sneered as he took in the rest of the store. Nothing was in place. Everything was wet. Some things were salvageable, though, like the plastic-covered cassette tapes that had been placed high up. Eric pointed to all the cases. "So how did all that stuff not get stolen?"

Hyde picked up a soaking wet copy of 'Zeppelin IV' and about cried. "Huh?" he looked at Eric, "Oh. WB hired some security company to watch it at night." He shrugged. "The flood insurance will pay for it so…"

Eric shook his head. "So, you actually have to clean this all up?"

"No," Hyde scoffed. "I'm just taking inventory of the damage. Like for instance…" Hyde pointed to an empty spot in the corner. "Oh, look. The storm washed away my expensive guitar collection."

Eric frowned in confusion. "But you didn't have a guitar collection."

Hyde grinned. "Exactly."

"You do realize that's insurance fraud, right Hyde?"

"You do realize that I don't give a crap, right, Mr. Rogers?"

"Uh, it's Mr. Forman," Eric corrected. "And yes, I was aware of that." As Hyde began to jot things down on his claim sheet, clipped to a clipboard, Eric walked around, trying to find what he could save from the building waters. "So, did you, uh, go to Jackie's place last night?" he asked, disguising the potentially volatile words as small talk.

"No."

"Good, cause, you know, it's probably for the best. She's with someone else, you know."

"Yeah, I know that. It's just," Hyde stopped. It was the last thing he wanted to talk about, especially with Eric. "Never mind." At that, Hyde took a step, accidentally kicking a 'Blondie' record into the water. Instead of getting pissed off, he just smirked and picked it up. "Hey, look. I got Debbie Harry all moist."

"Hyde," Eric said, not letting him off the hook.

Rolling his eyes, Hyde dropped the record. "Whatever. Man, I wanted to go over there." Making his way through the store, trying to reach his cash register, Hyde continued. "I don't know what the hell's gotten into me lately, Forman. It's fucking Jackie, you know? I should know better."

Eric puckered his eyebrows as he neared his friend. "So, what are you saying, man? You think you might still have feelings for her?"

Hyde shrugged.

"So, what…You're just _done_ with Jessica? Because Donna's going to be…"

"No. I'm not done with Jessica. I…you know, Jackie and I, we…"

Ever-so-slightly, Eric nodded, thinking that maybe he understood. "You've got history."

His eyes still half-heartedly locked on his list, Hyde shrugged again and continued his tour of the store. "I guess." As he walked away, Eric shook his head. It was obvious Hyde didn't want to admit to anything. It was his way, and Eric accepted that. What a mess, though. No wonder his friend of nearly twenty years seemed so distant lately, even more than usual. So, he was glad to witness when Hyde turned around with a familiar grin, a 'Heart' record in hand. "Hey, check it out. I got two chicks wet at the same time."

Eric laughed and reached over, grabbing a soggy 'Bananarama' one. "It's a threesome for me."

Hyde nodded, "Awesome," and Eric thought that maybe his friend would be okay. He still had his thirteen-year-old boy sense of humor. And that was all that really mattered…

Another half an hour or so went by as Hyde recorded the damage and estimated their value while Eric did what he could to gather the irreplaceable items, like signed posters and records and circle paraphernalia.

"Hey, can you go put this in my car for me?" Eric heard as Hyde slapped a big box of cassette tapes in his arms. "Thanks."

Eric glanced at it. All of Hyde's favorite music was represented. "Man, Hyde. You're stealing from _yourself?_ "

Hyde shrugged. "I'll get reimbursed…"

* * *

 **That Evening**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

Jackie was beat as she slowly pushed up each step of her building. She had just spent five hours interviewing greasy-mouthed fat guys at the 9th Annual Hot Dog Fest in Baraboo, Wisconsin. It wasn't exactly what she had imagined when she stood in front of her mirror as a child with a hairbrush-turned-microphone pressed to her lips, but it paid the bills.

Just seven more steps, Jackie thought to herself, until a hot cup of cocoa, a few Tylenol, bare feet, and a steaming bath. That was all that mattered at that moment.

As she reached the top, she wondered if the headache that continually thrashed at her skull was making her hear things. The first synthesized cords of Madonna's 'Borderline' were wafting from behind her closed apartment door.

 _Borderline  
Feels like I'm going to lose my mind  
You just keep on pushing my love  
Over the borderline... _

"What the hell," Jackie muttered as she quickly opened her door and mouth to the vision of Kevin, Brooke, Betsy and little Bradley, all dressed in her favorite Madonna gear, bouncing around her living room like they were in a nightclub. "What are you guys doing?"

They all looked over, except Bradley, who just kept hopping; his chubby little arms dressed in pink lace and stacks of jelly bracelets. The rest only smiled and waved as they continued to dance.

"Hey!" Kevin called out before spinning around, his own arms draped in bandanas and more of her colored jelly bracelets.

With a shrug, Jackie dropped her things to the floor and plopped herself down on the couch to watch the rather entertaining show. As the tape continued to play, Betsy danced her way over to Jackie and jumped onto her lap, giving her a great, big—much needed—God-daughter/God-mother hug before rejoining her mother on the dance floor.

"Thanks, Bets," Jackie cooed, taking off her heels.

Brooke sat down beside her. "Hey!" she said, trying to catch her breath. "How was your day?"

"The usual," was all Jackie could say about it.

Brooke nodded. "Can I ask you something?" At that, Jackie gestured for her to go ahead. "Why'd you trust Kevin with the whole Hyde thing and not me? Did you think I'd be mad at you?"

Shaking her head, Jackie scooted closer to who she honestly saw as her best friend, even more so than Donna these days. "No, Brooke. I just…I didn't want you to think I was weak and stupid. I mean, you were there before. Kevin wasn't."

Slightly disappointed, Brooke tilted her lace-draped, ponytailed head. "I don't think you're weak. Stupid, maybe, but never weak," she added with a smile, finally finding those magic words that turned Jackie's tired scowl into a smile. Brooke arched an eyebrow. "So…did he come over here last night?"

Jackie shook her head. "If I tell you something, you promise not to yell at me?"

"No. But you better tell me, anyway."

"I gave him a key." Jackie dropped her eyes to her lap in shame. "He was supposed to come back, but he stood me up. He didn't come. So," Jackie shrugged, "I guess that's that…It's done."

"What?!" Kevin blurted and came over. "He ditched you? Again?" The usually cheerful gay man appeared pissed now, and Jackie put her hands up, knowing that was never a good thing.

"Kevin, it's fine."

"No, it's _not_ fine," he spat. "Did he call? After you slept with him like that and risked your relationship with Colin, who is perfect, by the way. Did he freakin' call?"

"No," Jackie answered sadly. "He didn't."

Kevin sat down on the other couch. "That's it then. I'm just going to have to kill him." He raised his eyebrows and threw up his hands. "I'm going to have to take him by the balls, wrap fishing wire around the little fuckers and then twist until they turn black and fall off!" Folding his arms, he sat back in a huff. "Fucker."

With a pained face, Brooke turned back to Jackie. "Jackie, just," Stopping, she looked around at her kids as they danced, not at all paying attention. The music practically had them in a trance as they held each other and jumped. Then she looked at the clock. "Okay, we've got seven minutes until Donna gets here to go wedding shoe shopping. So just start from the beginning. But be quick. What the hell happened?"

"Okay," Jackie replied warily. She was almost too embarrassed to admit to how quickly Steven Hyde had gotten her into bed, even though he hadn't really been trying. "But just let me finish before you say anything. Don't interrupt me with any bitchy comments," Jackie shot threatening eyes over to the other couch, "Kevin."

"What?" He rolled his eyes. "Fine. _"_

"Okay, well," Jackie glanced at her co-worker. "I went with him to go see Leo, remember, on Monday, and when we were at the hospital? Well, Steven was really upset and…" Jackie took a deep breath. "I kissed him…"

* * *

 **The Following Night**

 **Friday, November 9, 1984**

 **Keno Family Drive-In - Kenosha, WI**

"How do you figure I owe you $500 bucks, man?" Kelso asked while Hyde backed his van into the spot next to Eric's car.

"Because," Hyde spat, shooting a dirty look over at the tall birthday boy, "It's your fault I had no spare tire when I got that flat. I had to spend 120 bucks on a motel room, I had to buy beer, I had to buy a new tire…"

"Well, it's not my fault you got a flat," Kelso sneered while his friend threw the gear in park and turned to him.

"No, but it's your fault I had to take a hit from a behemoth named Elbert. And that's worth at least 300 bucks for pain and suffering." Not to mention, Hyde thought, the new predicament it got him into with Jackie, something he couldn't say to Kelso. Yeah, that idiot owed him big. "Oh, and plus," Hyde frogged him. "You didn't even invite me to the movies!"

"Brooke told me not to, man! I don't know why! She threatened to take away the goodies. What could I do?"

"Be a man," Hyde shouted.

"I try but she just yells at me!"

Hyde shook his head. "Baby."

"Whatever, man." Kelso glowered at his angry friend. "I can't wait 'til Jessica finally puts her foot down. It's going to be one sorry ass day in Hyde-ville," he snickered as they both got out and met up with Eric and Fez. "So where are the chicks?" Kelso asked Eric.

"Shopping. They'll be here."

Eric looked at Hyde. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Freddy Krueger, you tool. Why did no one invite me?"

Eric yanked him to the side and lowered his voice. "Look, Brooke thought it would be better if you didn't come. She's the one callin' all the shots here; there was nothing I could do."

"You could be a freakin' man, Forman, and tell her I'm his friend, too."

The skinny man blew out a big breath. "Come on, Hyde. Why do you even want to be here anyway? Jackie's going to be here. Unless…Unless you _want_ to see Jackie," he teased as he placed his hand to his heart. "Because you still love her."

Hyde glared at him, willing himself not to kill one friend on another's birthday. "Man, get bent. I just don't appreciate being blown off by my _supposed_ friends. And I've known Kelso way longer than Jackie has. So, I figure, I have more right to be here than she does."

Eric nodded. "Man, I can't wait to watch you tell Brooke all that."

Behind him, Hyde watched Jackie pull up in her car with Brooke, Donna, and Fez's girlfriend Amy. All the girls were dressed to kill while two in particular, Brooke and Jackie, were wearing a glare to match, especially once they caught sight of Hyde.

"Crap," he grumbled.

Getting ready to take off, Eric patted his friend on the back and sighed as the two girls got out of the car and stalked toward him. "Yeah, good luck with that…"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – Colin's Girl**

 _ **Music:**_

 _Bringing on the Heartbreak -_ Def Leppard

 _Jessie's Girl_ \- Rick Springfield

 _Simple Man_ \- Lynyrd Skynyrd

 _Someone Belonging to Someone_ \- the Bee Gees

* * *

 _Point Place, Wisconsin_

 _Christmas Night, 1983_

 _It seemed unfair to the rest of the world how beautiful one single, human being could be, especially while dressed in all white, standing in the falling snow—how one, single face could keep it all, everything you ever remembered being, past and present. If his memory served him, it had been Christmas, a Sunday night, and her hair had been down… and long, longer than he ever remembered seeing it… darker, too, splayed over her white winter coat and mussed from the wind as she glided over the ice and laughed._

" _Colin!"_

 _From across the frozen pond, Hyde watched her skate off the frost and into the arms of her boyfriend, who caught steadied her, kissing the tip of her red nose before closing his eyes to take her lips. Instinctively, Hyde looked away, feeling uncomfortable in his voyeurism, but damn, it was all they ever seemed to do. Their relationship was still new and exciting; he could see it in her eyes. His own eyes returned in time to see Colin push her back onto the ice where she shut her eyes and held her arms out to the breeze._

" _Donna! Watch me spin!"_

 _Captivated by her every movement, Hyde watched as she began to study her feet, moving them in an attempt to turn herself in circles. She looked so damned happy, happier than he could ever remember seeing her, and so grown up, even as she clutched onto her friend and pulled her to the ground, snorting out in laughter as the pair lay hugging on the ice._

" _Donna! You were supposed to catch me!"_

 _With a stifled smile, Hyde eyed them as they giggled and rolled from side to side, trying to get up in their heavy coats, the difficulty escalating their laughter further while their giggles echoed high into the dark stratosphere of night._

" _Colin! Help!"_

 _Still lying on her back, Jackie laughed and raised her arms into the air while Donna got to her feet and began to skate teasingly around her friend._

" _Colin!"_

 _Hyde watched Colin step out onto the ice, wearing winter boots and a small frown as he walked prudently toward the center of the pond, his arms jutting out to steady him. With a smile Hyde hadn't seen in years, Jackie reached out to her approaching lover._

" _Lay down with me, baby," she said. "Watch the stars."_

 _Hyde watched Colin smile at the sight of his girlfriend laid spread out over the ice. He couldn't blame the guy. He, himself, was wearing a slight smile, too. But it fell at one thought. He couldn't help but wonder what he would have done years before if it had been him in that situation, with her reaching out, calling_ _him_ _baby. More than likely, he would have refused her request in some macho, bullshit attempt to appear unaffected by her and then regretted the hell out of it later._

 _For a moment, Eric's voice drew his attention away. He was waving and calling Donna over to him as Kitty stood by with a steaming mug, leaving only two on the ice. Colin and Jackie were alone now, but neither seemed to notice as she giggled and reached up to pull him down with her. And he went, too, easily, and rolled onto his back as they both raised their eyes to the sky, making Hyde do the same._

 _Above him, the night sky was dark, darker than he could ever remember seeing it, probably because the stars were so bright against the blackness, causing them to stand out as they dimmed everything around them. But one in particular seemed to shine brighter than the rest._

" _Colin!" he heard her laugh and closed his eyes._

 _Yeah. It had been a cold Christmas night and she had been dressed in all white, looking more beautiful than he could ever remember seeing her…_

 _Gypsy, sittin' lookin' pretty  
The broken rose with laughin' eyes…_

 **Point Place, Wisconsin**

 **Friday, November 9, 1984**

 **2:54 pm**

 _You're a mystery, always runnin' wild  
Like a child without a home  
You're always searching, searching for a feeling  
Then it's easy come and easy go_

Opening his eyes, Hyde let his head fall lazily to the right to catch a glimpse of Def Leppard on MTV: his newest vice. With Jess gone, his store destroyed, his mind teeming with brunette thoughts, music videos were all his sanity could take anymore. He had barely moved in the last twenty-four hours, lying instead like a lump on his couch, eating pizza and drinking beer while fingering a smooth silver key and intermittently dialing one phone number over and over.

His throat was thick with a permanent lump that served as a steady reminder that he was a complete prick. Why hadn't he just called her right away? Why had he betrayed Jess? Why had he not gone to explain himself to Jackie? With a deep huff to remind himself that he was still alive, Hyde sat up and rubbed his hands down his eyes and face. He missed Jackie. That surprised him. He honestly hadn't expected to. But what could he do? She was infectious; bratty, annoying, irritatingly ostentatious, a little whiny, and bossy as all hell, but still, _infectious_ and driving him crazy from thirty miles away.

There were times, though, when he was deep in his MTV stupor, nodding his head and actually tapping his foot to a fucking Wham song or something equally horrid, that his mind would wander into the place where Jackie waited for him, leading him to briefly explore the possibility of letting go of Jess. And then he would come to his senses, throw his empty beer can at George Michael's stupid, blond head and shake her image away. Even _if_ he had wanted her back, it wouldn't matter. She had already stated her intentions. She wanted Colin.

Close to him, Hyde kept Jessica's picture, for moments such as these, when he was questioning his relationship with her. It was his beacon home, leading him back to normalcy. But something, some force stronger than himself, kept pulling his mind back to Jackie's bedroom.

 _You're such a secret, misty eyed and shady  
Lady how you hold the key  
Oh you're like a candle, your flame slowly fadin'  
Burnin' out and burnin' me…_

 _Two Days Before_

 _Wednesday, November 7_ _,_ _1984_

 _4:12 PM_

 _Beneath him, Jackie had closed her eyes as if she were experiencing nirvana, smiling and sighing contentedly while he blew his breath across her skin. He was tracing patterns, starting from her forehead, moving down the slope of her button nose, and passing over her plump lips until he reached her chin. He really liked the way she looked when she was happy like this, when she was genuinely adrift within a moment._

" _T," she had guessed with a smile._

 _Hyde smiled, too. "Right."_

" _Now me," she said, opening her eyes. "Close your eyes."_

 _He did, letting himself enjoy the cool breeze that she began to create on his skin and the way her hands slid up into his hair, sending tingling little waves of pleasure through his body. In that moment, he felt so relaxed, so still, that he almost forgot that he wasn't supposed to be there, lying with her, so intimately._

" _C," he guessed._

" _Nope," Jackie giggled and quickly made the pattern again._

" _Oh, G."_

" _Right," she whispered, returning the wind to his face in circles. "Does that feel good?"_

" _Uh, huh," he whispered back, never opening his eyes. God, did it. He was hot, sweating from the exertion of sex, and she was cooling him, same as he had done for her. It was a silly lover's game they had played years before. More importantly, though, it was the kind of thing that he had missed about her, these sweet pillow games…_

With a frustrated sigh, Hyde peeled himself away from his couch and made his way into the kitchen, thinking and grumbling along the way. Did she play those games with Colin, too? It would be stupid of him to believe she didn't, to believe that it was only with him.

Opening his fridge, Hyde pulled out another two cans of beer and slammed the door shut just as there was a knock at the door, perking him up. "Oh, crap," he blurted out and headed toward the door. Maybe it was her; he'd been calling all day. After tripping over a pile of dirty laundry on the floor and and saying 'fuck it' to the fact that he was only in his boxer shorts, he swung it open and automatically deflated at the sight of Kelso.

"Man, Kelso. What do you want?" he said, turning back around to head for the couch again.

"Well, it's nice to see you, too, _Hyde_ ," Kelso said, walking in and shutting the door. "I was just wondering if I could borrow your van tonight."

Hyde sneered as he popped open his Budweiser. "For what?"

"For uh…um…undercover work."

Grimacing at the sight of his friend's pained expression, Hyde waited patiently. Kelso was obviously lying about something.

"You know…uh…secret van stuff." The glare from Hyde made Kelso's shoulders rise and then fall in defeat. "Fine! Okay! It's my birthday and Brooke invited everyone to go see 'Nightmare on Elm Street' with us at the drive-in." Kelso smiled happily. "It's supposed to be _really_ scary…Oh, but you can't come…"

* * *

 **That Night at the Drive-In**

 **Kenosha, Wisconsin**

 **8:02 pm**

Maybe it was the dim stadium lights surrounding him, or the fact that the entire gang was together at the drive-in—something that hadn't happened in years—but Hyde felt like he was back in school as Jackie flounced angrily toward to him. She looked beautiful, but more than that, she looked angry. In fact, she looked as though she were going to haul off and smack him. So, when she got close and threw her arm out, he flinched.

"I'm not going to hit you, you idiot," Jackie snapped with her hand held out at him, palm up. "I want my key back."

Glancing to his right, Hyde noticed that Eric appeared more nervous than he felt. His eyes were growing wide while he gestured strangely toward Donna and walked away, presumably to distract her. As Hyde turned back to Jackie, he caught a quick look at Brooke's expression, too. She looked wary, as well, probably realizing that Kelso wasn't too far away either. But Jackie's expression was what had him locked. She wasn't just pissed at him. No. She was pissed _and hurt._

"I don't have it on me," he said.

"You know what," Brooke interjected quietly to Jackie. "I'm going to distract Michael. You two talk."

Jackie continued to stare at Hyde. "Hyde and I have nothing to talk about," she said.

With a sigh, the taller brunette glanced at Hyde, relaying her message before she walked away. She was disappointed in him, and he could feel it. It was all over the place, in the air, in Jackie's eyes. He had a lot to be sorry for. A lot more than phone calls and silver keys.

Taking a chance, Hyde stepped toward her. "Look, Jackie, I'm sorry. I tried to call…"

She stepped back. "It doesn't matter, Steven. I don't care," she let out, clearly affected by his close proximity.

"Yes, you do," he challenged, stepping forward again.

Adamantly, Jackie shook her head. "No… I don't."

This was exactly the place that he didn't want to go with her, back to that place where they spoke like strangers, like they hated each other, when both knew they really didn't.

The breeze picked up and blew her hair to the side as she looked down at her hands. "You know what?" Jackie said softly while she played with her fingers. "Just throw it away then." Dropping her hands to her sides, she abruptly turned to walk away.

But immediately, Hyde grabbed her arm to stop her. "Hey. Come here," he insisted pulling her to the side of his van where no one was within sight. "I wanted to come back." Leaning into her, he gripped her face into his hands. "I swear to God."

Jackie's eyes burned into his. "Then why didn't you?"

Hyde shut his, though. He had been waiting for that question. "Jess called," he said regretfully and freed her from his grasp. "I got stuck on the phone."

Her expression unchanging, Jackie nodded. "And you couldn't call me after to let me know because…"

"No… I did call," he argued, taking a defensive stance. "A lot. Your phone was busy."

Frowning, Jackie took similar posture. "Yeah, at, like, midnight, Steven. What about yesterday or today…" He started to answer, but she held her hand up. "You know what, forget it. It doesn't even matter. It was probably better that you didn't come."

Suddenly, he felt a sharp burst of jealousy hit him. "Who were you talking to?"

"What do you care?" she responded, making him roll his eyes away in frustration. He knew what she wanted. She wanted confirmation of his jealousy.

"I guess I don't," he replied instead.

At that, Jackie folded her arms. "Exactly. You want to know who I was talking to, Steven? I was talking to the only man who has never hurt me, who has _never_ shoved another woman in my face," Jackie put her hand to her heart, "and who makes me feel like I matter to him. _Really_ matter."

Not knowing what to say, Hyde dropped his gaze to the ground and swallowed. No matter what he did or said, she would always resent him deep down, and he couldn't blame her. "I'm sorry," was all he could say.

Nodding, Jackie started to back away. "You always are, aren't you," she said and walked off, leaving him standing alone by his car, feeling strangely depressed. He wasn't the brightest guy in the world when it came to relationships, but he knew enough to know that he was falling for her again. A chill fizzled through his chest and turned his body cold as he grappled with his new situation. He felt a dire, itching need to get her talking to him again.

Tonight.

Now.

Startling him, a hand landed on his shoulder and, when he turned to look, Eric's sympathetic face was staring back at him. "Come on, man. Help me get the van set up."

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

Hyde was resting in the back of his van when Eric threw the largest, heaviest damn pillow ever made, knocking him over.

"Damn, Forman. What the hell is this?"

Donna tossed a similar pillow to Eric, nearly making him fall to the concrete. "My mom made 'em for me and Donna. They're body pillows."

As planned, Hyde shoved the enormous pillow in front of the empty space between the two seats, making a veritable couch to lean back against. "What'd she stuff it with? Jimmy Hoffa?"

"Beans, I think," Eric answered while Kelso grabbed the second pillow and threw it at Hyde with a grunt, making him tumble over once again.

"Damn, Kelso," Hyde grumbled from beneath the fifty-pound pillow.

"Man, this is the coolest set-up ever!" Kelso commented as his eyes scanned approvingly over the scene. "It'll be like a harem in here with all the chicks." He climbed inside with Hyde and leaned back against the make-shift couch. "Look, it's got carpet and everything and like fifty pillows. Oh! It's just like Jeannie's bottle."

Smiling, Hyde nodded. "I know. Throw a ponytail on Jess and that little outfit and it's…" He stopped mid-sentence, his smile fading as Jackie walked up and gave him a look that might have destroyed a weaker man. "It's, uh, what time's the movie start," he asked Eric, changing the subject.

Glancing at the tense brunette beside him, Eric stepped sideways to get out of the line of fire. "Uh," he stammered. "In, like, fifteen minutes."

Rolling her eyes, Jackie opened her mouth. "We're going to the snack shack. What do you morons want?"

"Lots of popcorn," Kelso shouted happily. "We already have the beer!" He slapped the cooler in front of him and Hyde. "So just get everything else. And I mean _everything._ "

"Oh, and candy," Fez said, smiling at Jackie. "You know what kind I like."

Jackie put her hands out in confusion. "But Fez, you like all kinds."

"I know," he smiled. "See, you know what I like."

"Here," Hyde said, getting up to make his way out of the van. "I'll help you carry it all back."

Jackie threw her hand up at him. "No! No! I don't need your help."

"Jackie. Are you crazy?" Donna said from behind her. "One of these lazy bums wants to help, I say let him."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, 'cause I'm not going to help."

"Yeah, me neither," Fez admitted bashfully.

"Yeah, well it's my birthday," Kelso added. "I don't have to help."

Hyde grinned as he inched toward Jackie. "See," he said to her smugly and stepped out of the van to stand beside her. "You should be thanking me."

A stare down ensued with Jackie cutting Hyde to pieces with her most vicious glare while he only grinned back at her. "Let's go," she grumbled though gritted teeth and stepped around him, heading toward the snack shack with him, Brooke and Donna in tow.

A few minutes later, they were standing in a long line. In it, Jackie stood with Hyde behind her, who was constantly placing his hands on her waist as he would lean forward into her ear to make idle chit-chat and ask stupid questions for the sake of Donna's ignorant ears. Jackie knew what he was doing, though. And as much as it made her heart flutter and her spine tingle, she ignored him and elbowed him back every time.

Standing there, waiting, Jackie noticed that the air smelled different tonight than it had only a week before. Back then, it had wafted with that traditional fall smell that she loved. That cold, crisp scent mixed with the warmth of turning leaves. But now, as Hyde leaned forward again, his chest heating her back and his nose nuzzling through her hair, she couldn't help but notice that the air smelled… _new_ , like it had back in high school, back when she was falling in love with him, when _they_ were crisp and new.

"I miss you," Jackie thought she heard come as a whisper in her ear and swore that she was imagining things. Her breath shuddered from the pure shock of it, and she turned her head toward him.

"Did you say something?"

"C'mere," he said, pulling her from the crowd as Brooke and Donna were lost in their own world, discussing wedding plans.

"Steven, they're going to notice," she warned him, but he didn't appear to care. His expression was set with pure determination as he pulled her behind a nearby wooden fence and positioned her back against it.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he announced almost immediately. "You have no idea how bad I wanted to see you."

Suspiciously, Jackie tilted her head. "Why are you doing this, Steven?"

Hyde shook his head. "Because…" He stepped back and combed his fingers through his hair. "I…Can we just…go back?"

"To what, Steven? To screwing around behind people's backs?"

"No." Hyde shook his head. "Yeah…I mean…Look. Can't we just forget about the other day? I _meant_ to come back, okay. I wanted to."

As she watched him, desperate to make up with her, acting as if they were a couple having a minor spat, Jackie's heart ballooned against her better judgement. He was moving in closer; his sweatshirt was soon touching the front of her coat while her back grew cold against the fence. Her chest became heavy as he closed in even further, her mouth unconsciously opened at the sight of his, and her eyes grew drowsy with desire. His every movement was sending her body into a tailspin. Maybe he _was_ sorry. Maybe they could…Wait. Having a thought, Jackie narrowed her eyes. Wait. He…He just…

Her jaw dropped, and she pushed him back. "Oh my God, you jerk."

Hyde looked shocked. "What?" he asked, his face worried with confusion. "What'd I do?"

Jackie stepped toward him and poked him in the chest. "That's all you want is sex, isn't it? I mean, you said so yourself. 'It was just sex, Jackie' That's what you said. Right?"

Hyde grimaced. "What? No," he sneered. "I didn't mean…"

Jackie poked him again. "Well, you can just forget it, Steven, because I am _not_ going to be your personal whore until Jessica gets back."

"That's not what I freakin' meant, Jackie."

"You're just going to have to break out your Vegas phone book and find your whore of an ex-wife for that. I hear she likes screwing desperate men while their girlfriends are out of town."

Up until now, Hyde had sat back and let her unleash her anger on him without protest. He had let her have her little tantrum. He knew he had it coming. But, after five years of being berated over a one-month relationship that he had started while drunk, Hyde had had enough. "Why do you have to pull that old crap out all the time?" he asked.

Haughtily, Jackie smiled. "Because you made it _so_ easy, Steven. You set yourself up for it."

At that, Hyde shook his head. "You know what? Forget it. Be pissed forever. I don't give a crap anymore." Turning away from her, he took a few steps and then stopped abruptly to think. What seemed like a lifetime of lessons, slowly being learned, prodded him and turned his body back around to look at her. She was waiting with her arms folded. "I didn't just want…" Her eyebrows elevated in disdain and, he knew, she wasn't going to believe him. "Forget it."

She shrugged. "Forgotten," she said glaringly as walked past him. "We should get back before they notice we're gone."

Irritated and frustrated beyond comprehension, Hyde stared at the fence and cursed the day he met Jackie Burkhart.

* * *

"Where were you guys?" Donna asked Jackie when they returned.

"Oh, Hyde thought he saw Boy George. So, we went to get his autograph." Jackie smiled smugly back at him. "He just loves that little cross-dresser. Don't you, Hyde?"

With an annoyed smile, Hyde nodded. "I was all a flutter."

Jackie smiled at the confused redhead. "See."

Donna frowned at him. "Hyde, how…But why would you even…I don't get it."

"Next!" the snack shack guy yelled out, saving Hyde as Jackie gave him a smart-assed smile and walked up to the counter with the other two girls.

He stood by as they ordered and received without complaint the piles of snacks that the girls unloaded on him. Four enormous buckets of popcorn, a Diet Tab and a shitload of candy shoved into every pocket. Jackie had been their pack-leader, organizing and making him carry as much as she possibly could while he kept his eyes anywhere but on her. Parts of him were beginning to miss Jessica as Jackie burned him at every opportunity. Maybe he deserved it but it didn't make the ordeal any less irritating or lonely. The part of him that had rationalized never getting involved with Jackie again pounded him with 'I told you so' over and over.

What it came down to was that Jessica didn't hate him underneath it all. When they fought, she had nothing to throw in his face. He hadn't, up until now, given her any ammunition. For the first time in his life, starting with her, he had tried to have a good relationship. He had really tried. And now, he just wanted to retreat back to it, to what he had worked so hard for, to find comfort in the only place he was clean and guiltless. With Jess.

As the three girls took off ahead of him, Hyde followed, remaining further back. They were being extremely bitchy to him, except for Donna, and he was trying his damnedest to not burn the fuck out of them. He could, too. So easily. But instead, he kept a slower pace than them to avoid the temptation, casually strolling past rows of cars filled with couples making out.

Up ahead he could see Jackie turn back to find him as she approached the van. She looked sad to him, though, and it was looks like those that were driving him crazy. Was she genuinely angry or was she playing games? He never could figure her out. But he didn't know how much more he could give to a girl who was taken, especially when he was so equally taken himself. And it wasn't as if Colin were some fling for her either, like he had once believed...

 _July 4, 1983_

 _It was a warm summer day and he had been laughing at Kelso—the moron was doing or saying something stupid—when he noticed a crowd gathering on the Forman driveway._

" _What the hell's goin' on?" he asked Kelso, who only shrugged._

 _Together, they had swaggered up to the see what all the commotion was about and the first sound he heard was Donna's voice._

" _Say 'Donna'," the red head asked expectantly, her eyes giddy and round with anticipation, her mouth set with a toothy smile._

" _Donna," an unfamiliar male voice rang out in accent._

 _Donna squealed, along with Laurie and Brooke. "Oh, my God, that is so cool!"_

" _Ooh, ooh, me next," Kitty exclaimed, pushing past Donna and smiling up flirtatiously at a dark-haired guy about Hyde's age, her feet fidgeting beneath her, her hands wringing with excitement. "Say Kitty, or Mrs. Forman, or Mrs. Kitty! Oh, I'm so excited."_

 _Looking over, Hyde sneered at Kelso, who was also enthralled with the new guy, wearing the same stupid grin as Donna._ " _Who is this guy?" he muttered, looking around. But everybody was too entranced by their new guest to even notice or hear him. The girls seemed to be swooning, the men—including Red—were listening and waiting just as intently, and at the center of it all was Jackie, her hand clutching the stranger's, a proud smile causing her face to virtually glow. The guy she was with appeared hesitant, at first, until he smiled downward, seeming to take a liking to the small lady who beamed so giddily up at him._

 _His smile grew, and he opened his mouth again. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Forman."_

 _Kitty squealed and clapped her pleasure at the sound of her name verbalized in an Irish accent._ " _Oh, that's just, just, so darn sexy!" she exclaimed._

 _Hyde watched his adoptive mother hop a few times before turning his attention to Jackie, who now had her arm wrapped around the foreigner's waist, smiling as she briefly made a show of kissing him._

 _As the crowd dispersed, Hyde wandered around the general vicinity of the table, feigning nonchalance while he checked out the new guy. Everyone was either seated or standing around him, listening intently to Jackie as she explained how they met and anxiously anticipating any solitary word from the man she called 'Colin.'_

 _Red smiled. "So, uh, you're Irish, huh? They fought in the war, you know. They didn't chicken out, like France or Switzerland." Red's face fell. "You're positive you're not from France?"_

 _Colin shook his head. "No, sir. I'm grew up in Belfast."_

 _Red's smile returned. "Good. Go have some chicken…"_

 _Twenty minutes later…_

" _I've um, I've been here for about seven years," Colin answered for probably the twentieth time, maintaining his cool as everyone incessantly threw question after question at him just to make him speak. Each time he did, the crowd became excited, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at his every pronunciation. Except for Hyde, who only rolled his eyes as he finally walked over to the table._

 _Jackie watched him sit. "Steven," she sang, "this is Colin. Colin, Steven." Before either could respond, though, Fez jumped in and invaded Colin's personal space, sitting unusually close to his foreign counterpart._

 _Fez smiled excitedly and leaned in. "Say Fez."_

 _Leaning back, Colin frowned and looked around before returning to Fez. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."_

 _Fez grimaced and looked around. "What? What did he say?"_

 _Colin looked to his right at Jackie, who smiled instantly and hugged his arm. "Say Fez, baby."_

" _Hey man," Hyde interjected from across the table. "If you don't, he's going to bug the hell out of you all night. He's got a chemical imbalance."_

 _Colin chuckled. "Alright," he said, turning to Fez with his hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Fez."_

 _At that, Fez's face lit up as stood and took off yelling. "Oh, you are right, Donna. That IS sexy…"_

 _One hour later…_

 _As he sat with a fuming Fez, Hyde tried to listen to the crowd of giggling girls as Kelso showed Colin inside the Forman house, promising to show him the 'American' way of packing a cooler._

" _Oh my God, Jackie. He is so sexy," Donna began as they all watched Colin walk into the house. "And that accent." She fanned herself. "Oh my God."_

 _Jackie nodded giddily. "I know."_

 _Next to her, Laurie only glared lasciviously at him and twirled her hair. "I know, you know, it's, like, I've always wanted to do it with a foreigner."_

" _What?!" Fez exclaimed, stomping his foot. "That whore! She_ did _do it with a foreigner. Hello," He looked angrily at Hyde and pointed to himself. "WE did it!"_

 _Hyde nodded. "Yep. Can't you see what's happening, Fez? He's taken your foreigner mojo, man. In one day." He locked eyes with his brown friend and lowered his voice to a dangerous tone. "He's even got Kelso, man."_

 _Fez's eyes narrowed. "I hate him."_

" _Me, too," Hyde said, sitting back and taking a swig of his beer._

" _Wait," Fez was confused. "Why do_ you _hate him?"_

" _For you, man!" Hyde replied quickly but Fez still looked confused so he grabbed his head and pointed it at the girls. "He's taking your mojo, man. Focus!"_

 _On a mission—one that was long forgotten once the piñata was hung about an hour later—Fez shot up from his seat and took off to salvage his claim on Kelso. In the meantime, Hyde sat back and watched Jackie. She was so fucking happy, smiling and bouncing as all the girls, including Mrs. Forman, congratulated her on her greatest catch ever. Hyde couldn't figure out it why he even gave a crap, though. At the time, he interpreted it as a newfound—but altogether genuine—dislike for assholes from Ireland. But later, he realized that it was probably because he was alone and, for the first time in years, Jackie wasn't making those occasional glances at him or sparking awkward conversation, revealing that he still had an effect on her._

 _Whatever it was, though, he had been irritated that day and had just kept telling himself that Colin would be gone soon enough. He would screw up or treat her like crap or run like hell when he realized what a pain in the ass Jackie Burkhart really was._

 _Yeah, soon enough…_

The movie was just starting as Hyde stepped up to the van. Everyone was inside already, cuddled together in pairs, except for Jackie, who sat alone beside Fez and Amy against the Jimmy Hoffa pillows. The other two couples rested across from each other, propped on pillows that lined the side walls. To his left were Kelso and Brooke, who both reached out to take the four buckets from his hands, while, to his right, Donna emptied his pockets and tossed most of the candy back at Fez.

"Catch, Fez!"

Hyde grimaced, feeling like he was getting jacked in the Ghetto all over again. "Hey, that one's mine and Jackie's," he said, taking a bucket back from Kelso. He glanced at Jackie, and she didn't argue. But she did roll her eyes away as Hyde crawled into the van and squished between her and Fez. "Man, scoot over."

Fez did, gladly, scooting closer to his girl with a smile as he placed his arm over her shoulder and winked at Hyde, who just chuckled and shook his head.

Warily, he turned to Jackie. "Hey, you want a beer?" She just shrugged, so he took that as an angry 'I do' and reached into the center of their set-up to open the cooler and get them both one. No one else seemed to be paying to attention to them or seemed concerned with the fact that Hyde appeared to actually be kissing her ass as the movie began, which was a good thing, too, because he would've stopped immediately if they had. For now, though, he was just trying to get her back to, at the very least, that place they resided before Halloween: civility.

"Here," he whispered, handing her a cold Budweiser. When she took it, he offered her the bucket of popcorn.

"I don't want it," she muttered and scooted closer to the wall beside her, leaning her head against it as she started to watch the film.

"You want a blanket?" he asked, grabbing the last blanket from the center. Everyone else had been covered but her and it had to have been about fifty degrees out, at most.

Looking at him coyly, Jackie nodded.

Given that, Hyde smiled inside as he opened up Eric's Empire Strikes back blanket and laid it over her. There, he thought, he had done all he could do. For now. He felt a little better. Maybe he wasn't a complete scum like everyone thought. Leaning back and folding his arms over his chest to keep warm, Hyde silently complimented Mrs. F on her pillow-making skills. The beans felt good on his back, and he let his head fall on it as he settled in to watch the film.

A few minutes later, Jackie stirred. He didn't look over but he was sure she felt closer. He could smell her now. A few moments later, she moved again. Yeah, definitely closer. The blanket was touching him now and then, out of nowhere, and without warning, it was eventually being placed over him as her body came into contact.

"It's cold, okay," Jackie explained with a dismissive roll of her eyes. "You're warm," she added quietly, trying to exude complete ambivalence as she cuddled up to him.

Hyde smiled and inched even closer to her, enjoying the feeling of cuddling under a blanket as she coiled her arms around his and rested her head on his shoulder. Hyde looked around. Everyone seemed entranced by the film, especially the two couples in front of him; they looked terrified, even, as Freddy Krueger's knifed hands scraped along a boiler. So, feeling confident in his furtiveness, he snuck a kiss to Jackie's head.

Beside him, though, Fez was more observant, nudging him and giving a strange look.

Startled, Hyde looked to his right. "She's cold. What?"

The foreigner narrowed his eyes and looked at Jackie whose attention was on the movie. "What is going on with you two?"

"What? Man, shut up. Watch the movie."

Once Hyde got the pest off his back—or rather, Amy did it for him with a few kisses—Hyde focused his attention back on Jackie. There was something he wanted to do, but he had to be cautious about it. After glancing around to make sure no one was looking at them, Hyde fluffed up the blanket slightly and grabbed her hand, only to have it pulled away.

"Stop it," Jackie whispered, never taking her eyes off the movie.

With a huff, Hyde shifted his attention back to the large screen and put his plan on a temporary hold. Patiently, he waited for several minutes and then tried again, this time gaining a stronger grip on her.

"Steven," Jackie grumbled as she tried to pull her hand away. "Let go."

Hyde leaned into her. "No," he whispered haughtily and then yelled out when her sharp nails dug into the tendons of his hand. "Ow! Damn it!"

Startled, everyone turned to frown at him. "Shhh!" Kelso hushed loudly as they all continued to watch the movie.

Pissed off now, Hyde snapped his hand away from her and scooted away by about an inch. No wonder they broke up; she was a child. An abusive, stubborn, spoiled freakin' child…

* * *

Seventeen Minutes Later

She was back, leaning up against him again, cold as the temperature steadily dropped outside. Beneath the blanket, though, it was as warm as hell could possibly get in south-eastern Wisconsin. Deciding 'screw it' for his fourth time, Hyde grabbed her hand and fought through the pain as her nails dug in once again. Bravely, he shut his eyes to the sharp, stabbing pain, figuring he could take it this time. But it was getting progressively worse. "Ah!" he blurted out and ripped his hand away. "Crap!"

"God, Hyde," Eric scowled. "Why do you keep yelling, man?"

"Yeah, what the hell, Hyde?" Donna laughed. "What do you have Turrets now or something?"

"Yeah, Steven," Jackie threw in. "You should probably have that checked out by a doctor."

Annoyed, Hyde faked a smile at her.

Irritated with Hyde's outbursts, Kelso initially sat scowling but his expression soon turned into a knowing smile. "Oh, I get it! He's trying to scare us! Ah ha. Nice try, Hyde. But you can't get me," he said, flipping his eyes back up to the screen.

"BOO!" Hyde yelled out, causing Kelso jump about a foot before giving Hyde another dirty look.

"Quit doing that!" he yelled angrily.

From that moment on, Hyde couldn't stop his laughter, even as Jackie smacked and poked at him to shut up. Eventually giving in, she sighed and placed her hand into his, probably hoping to satisfy him so she could watch the movie. And it worked. Hyde grinned triumphantly and sat back, interlacing their fingers and taking hold. Somehow… Some-fucking-how…. he had won.

It was a minor victory, but it was all his…

* * *

Forty-Five Minutes Later

9:37 pm

No more did a secret battle rage beneath the Empire Strike Back blanket. Instead, a subtle game of touch played out. It was mostly Hyde's game. But he felt like he was junior high again, just happy to get a feel of soft, warm girl skin. Her arm, her hand, and, when he got brave, her waist. He had been waiting for a smack as he eased his hand beneath the hem of her sweater to place his hand on her bare flesh but encountered no resistance.

Jackie did squirm, though, inwardly fighting her own desires as she sat tucked closely beside him. It was hard to ignore how good his sweatshirt smelled or how strong his arm felt, and even harder to ignore his daring little attempts to touch her. Her whole body tingled from it, and she smiled cautiously, feeling like she was on a first date or back in junior high with a nervous boy beside her, doing his best to feel her up. Why she was nervous, she didn't know. But looking around at everyone else and not displaying on her face the fact that Hyde was trying to cop a feel beneath the covers was becoming extremely difficult.

Luckily, the entire gang was too enthralled in the movie to notice, including her at times. It was actually kind of fun when the scary parts would come and give her an excuse to hide in his chest. Plus, he would hug her and not let go until she was ready. And it was times like those when they were free to flirt. No one second-guessed that Hyde was just doing his duty as a man and a friend by comforting Jackie. Only Brooke, with her occasional worried looks, reminded the smaller brunette that she and Hyde were not supposed to be feeling the way they were.

"Oh! Holy crap! Run, you idiot!" Donna shouted at the big screen and hid behind Eric as Jackie, Amy and Brooke all did the same with their partners.

When her fear subsided, Jackie turned her face forward again and felt Hyde tenderly kiss the top of her head. Closing her eyes, something poignant occurred to her. This is how it would have been with him, this grown man who was supposed to be hers. She had earned this version of him, even if she had never gotten it. She had loved and cherished him when few would and wanted him with so much of herself that she nearly crumbled under the weight of it all.

Releasing her tucked arms, she wrapped them around Hyde's torso and squeezed, feeling another kiss fall upon the crown of her head. Whatever happened, however their lives turned out, Jackie knew that she never wanted to forget this moment…

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

10:06PM

"Man! That was awesome!" Kelso exclaimed as Eric shut the back doors and turned on his flashlight with a nod. Kelso, Fez and Hyde turned theirs on as well. "Especially when that guy," Kelso continued with the bright light tucked beneath his chin, shadowing and warping his normally flawless features, "…got sucked into the bed and the all that blood shot up to the ceiling!"

Smiling, Brooke shook her head. "That was so disgusting."

"No," Jackie tossed in. "What was disgusting was how cute he was. Good-looking people are _not_ supposed to die in scary movies. It's supposed to be the ugly people who die while all the cute ones live on to be in the sequel." The mere thought of it made her face twist into disgust. "Nobody wants to see a sequel full of uggos."

Kelso nodded. "That's true…And, let me just say that it's obvious which ones of us would be heading for that hot sequel." Laughing pompously, he put his hands up. "I'm just sayin'."

"So, what are we doin' right now?" Amy's voice rang out from the darkness beside Fez.

Fez flashed his light around to everyone. "Yeah. So, what are we doing people? Are we coming or going or what?"

"Man, we've got two coolers full of beer right here." Flipping open one of them, Hyde reached in and grabbed several beers, tossing one to everybody, including Donna, who reached over and turned on the small radio that she and Eric had brought.

 _Jessie is a friend, yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine  
But lately something's changed that ain't hard to define  
Jessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine_

"I say we're staying," Hyde announced and looked around.

Fez nodded. "I agree with Hyde."

"Me, too," Kelso concurred with his palms held out in front of him. "I like being able to have Brooke's ass in one hand and a free beer in the other."

Nodding, Donna looked around. "Yeah, I mean. What would we be doing in a bar anyway? Drinking and talking to each other. We can do that right here." To add to her point, she raised her eyebrows and threw up a finger. "And _here,_ we don't have to worry about Hyde getting arrested or Fez dancing on tabletops."

"Excellent point, my lovely," Eric nodded and guzzled the rest of his beer down, his finger swirling in the air. "The van, 'tis," he eventually said and burped.

 _You know, I wish that I had Jessie's girl  
I wish that I had Jessie's girl  
Where can I find a woman like that…_

Hyde looked over at Jackie. "I can't stand this damn song."

"I can't imagine why," she said flippantly, taking a sip of her drink.

While Jackie smirked at Hyde on one side of the van, Brooke sifted through wedding magazines and raised her hand on the other. "Okay, well since I have my whole wedding party here, minus my cousin, we need to go over a few things."

Most everybody—meaning all the guys—groaned and bitched as Brooke's eyes widened and her lips pursed into a tight pucker. "Oh no," Donna said, holding her arms out. "You guys shut up. She gets all scary and twitchy when her eyes do that," she pointed. "Just like Eric."

"Hey," Eric objected. "That twitchy thing's all mine, baby."

"Yeah, you idiots. Shut up," Jackie shouted, smacking Hyde in the chest before reaching over to smack Fez, too. "Weddings are very stressful time for a woman. And it's not like the man ever helps." Her scowl and Hyde's flashlight found Kelso's eyes. "Michael!"

"Hey, I wrote out invitations!"

"Yeah. Me, too," Hyde added before getting another smack to the chest. "Ow."

"There is way more to a wedding than invitations, Michael," Jackie explained, putting her fingers to her palm as of all the flashlights fell on her chest. "There are bands, seating arrangements, centerpieces, gowns, shoes, hair, catering, photographers, dove handlers, limos…"

"Wait. Dove handlers?" Eric repeated and turned his flashlight to Kelso. "Man, you guys are releasing doves?"

Kelso grimaced and put his own flashlight back beneath his chin. "No."

"I was talking about _my_ wedding!" Jackie snapped angrily. "Now shut up and put those flashlights back on Brooke." With a slight tilt of her head, Jackie smiled sweetly and put her hands out to her friend. "Now go ahead, Brooke."

Pensively, Brooke's eyes grew wide as all of the attention and lighting turned back to her. "Oh my God," she muttered. "I haven't even decided on the centerpieces. Or the band. Or the hair. I haven't thought about the seating arrangement at all yet or the tabletop gifts…" Frowns grew as everyone watched in horror while Brooke began to hyperventilate. Even her husband-to-be scooted away cautiously. "…I still need to decide on the napkin colors and plates and silverware and glasses and the freakin' wedding party flutes!" Brooke grabbed her chest. "I ca…I can't…I can't…I can't do this Michael. I can't…"

"Hey. Brookie. Baby. It's gonna be okay," Kelso soothed, rubbing her back. "We have the next three weeks off to work on it."

"No, it's not okay, Michael," Brooke snapped, making everyone lean back in fear. As tears filled her eyes, though, Brooke only raised her hand to her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry, you guys. It's just that I haven't been to a wedding since Bob's, and…and I'm starting to think I have no idea what I'm doing and I…I know you're trying to help Jackie, Donna, but I just…I…" Her face twisted into a sob and Kelso pulled her down against his shoulder. "Michael!"

"Baby, it's okay," he soothed quietly to her, kissing her head as he looked worriedly around at his friends. "This whole wedding's really been stressing her out."

Panning around the van, everybody's expressions were glum with concern and sympathy. Brooke was usually so together and calm. She was the rational mother of the group. She's was the fucking librarian for God's sake. Having a thought, Hyde reached back over the Hoffa pillows into the front seat and grabbed his stack of the week's newspapers. Stories of the shopping center collapse had prompted him to purchase them and maybe, just maybe, they would hold something that might cheer Brooke up.

"Steven. How can you read the freakin' newspaper while Brooke's crying?" Jackie asked, flicking his paper before crawling away to meet up with the other girls to console their friend. Hyde ignored her, though, and continued to flip through the pages, finding what he was looking for with a smile.

"Hey, Brooke," Hyde called out. "Would it help if you saw an actual wedding? I mean, would it help give you some ideas?"

Brooke raised her head and looked around. "I don't know. I guess so. Why?"

"Well," he started. "It looks as though the Krakowski/Robinowski wedding is just about your size." A nod and a wink from him to her intrigued the rest of the gang, who turned their flashlights toward him.

Brooke frowned. "I'm not following, Hyde" While, at the exact same moment, Jackie's jaw dropped, her lips curling into a quirky smile.

"Well. I'm just saying," Hyde continued. "It looks like it's going to be a pretty kick ass reception. Over 200 guests in attendance," he said as he turned his light back down to the quarter-page announcement. "Christy Robinowski was a debutant. Miss Country Kenosha 1976.

Nudging Brooke, Jackie gasped. "Oh, my God. I remember her. She was fabulous."

"…two bands," Hyde continued. "And most importantly, gang: an open bar."

"I'm in!" Kelso announced.

With a grin, Hyde looked back up at Brooke and nodded. "What do you say, Brooke?"

"But we weren't invited," Brooke argued, completely confused while everyone around her began to smile.

"Oh, no, Brooke," Hyde explained. "See, there's only one thing better than being invited to an open bar wedding reception." His grin grew wide across his face. "And that's crashing one."

Kelso nodded. "It's true, baby."

"We're going to crash a wedding?" Brooke asked Hyde, who nodded, sure as shit.

"We are," Hyde said. "Tomorrow at…" He gave the announcement one more look. "At three o'clock at the Kenosha Howard Johnson. Oh, and starting at four o'clock is the Brown/Jackson reception down the street at the Ramada Inn. _And,_ " He put up a finger, "at around five begins the Manning/Freeman shindig. The beer will be a-flowin'."

"It's a good thing my suit's pressed," Eric said, raising his can. "Count me in."

"Hell yes. Count me and Amy in, too," Fez nodded. "It's not like I haven't crashed a wedding before. Right, Jackie?"

"Right, Eduardo!" The small brunette began clapping as she kneed herself over to her ex-boyfriend and kissed his cheek. "Steven, you're a genius!"

"It's the street smarts. They never leave me."

Donna smacked her hands together. "OK, so then, we should all meet in, like, the basement or something around 2:30. Oh, and make sure to dress up for the occasion. We need to blend in." She pointed at Hyde. "Hyde, you need to shave."

He shook his head. "Not happening."

Ignoring the unshaven adult delinquent, the redhead turned her attention to the foreigner and scowled warningly. "And when I say 'dress up for the occasion,' Fez, it means wear a _suit and a tie._ "

With a challenging glare aimed at Donna, Fez placed his flashlight below his chin. "Oh, fine. You show up to one baby shower wearing a Speedo and they never let you forget it…"

* * *

One Hour Later

11:21 pm

The two back doors to Hyde's van swung open and out came tumbling eight laughing twenty-somethings along with a plume of sweet smelling smoke. Kelso picked Brooke up and kissed her. He loved when she was happy. He loved the way she smiled at him when she was happy. But more than anything, he loved the way she kissed him when she was smiling and happy. Squeezing her tight, Kelso nuzzled her nose and gave her an Eskimo kiss.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too, baby," she giggled back.

"Oh, Jesus," Donna laughed. "I'll never get used to seeing Brooke high. It's so great. Isn't it great, honey?" she asked Eric as they made their way to their car with Fez and Amy close behind.

"It is great," Eric corroborated. "You know what's even greater?"

"Oh, no," Donna giggled. "What?"

Eric smiled peacefully. "You."

With a demure smile gifted in return, the redhead shrugged, "Oh, Eric," and kissed him.

"Oh, puke," Hyde muttered while he shook his head and shut the doors to the van, having watched as the three other couples walked off and hugged, hand in hand, lips to lips. Even Fez had his girlfriend giggling and pinned up against his car. Hyde turned to Jackie, who was right beside him, watching, too. "What does this shit have the love potion #9 in it or what?"

Smiling, Jackie looked all around her. "Maybe. Everyone seems so happy, don't they?"

"So, uh," Hyde stared at his feet for a moment until he got the nerve to look up at her. "You going home?"

With a half-hearted rise of her lips, Jackie pointed at Kelso and Brooke. "Well, no. I've gotta drive them home."

Nodding, Hyde sat down on his bumper and slid slightly toward her, leading her to do the same while the kissing soon-to-be-married couple—cooing at each other only a few feet away—paid no mind.

"Are you staying over there tonight?" he asked so quietly that she leaned closer, even though she had heard him. Truth was, she wanted to be closer, feeling as though she was being pulled by something, being drawn to him. But something about the clarity of the night air made her nervous again, even though her mind was still wrapped in smoke. She could hear Hyde so clearly, though. Beneath his words, he was hinting, practically begging, for an invitation. So, Jackie shook her head and held his stare.

"No. I'm going home," she said, disorientated by the sound of her own voice. It sounded like an echo in her head. None of it sounded real anymore. Only him. Only _his_ voice came in crystal clear.

"You going to be alright there?" he asked.

A bright, yet shy, smile warmed her face and she looked down. "No. I'm probably going to freak out tonight." Looking back over at him, at his smile, hers grew. He was so handsome when he smiled.

"Why?" he asked, inching his fingers over until he placed his hand over hers on the cold steel where they sat.

"The movie," she sputtered out through nervous laughter. "You know, ' _One, two, Freddy's comin' for you..."_ She stopped singing as his smile fell away.

"Yeah, you better not fall asleep. That's when he'll come for ya."

"Hey!" She shoved him away by his shoulder. "Steven!" He chuckled, his tongue hanging out like a child as he did. It was his 'giddy' laugh and she couldn't help but laugh with him. "Why would you say that, Steven?"

"To scare you," he answered and nudged her back. "What do you think?"

"Well, don't," she pointed sternly. "I get really scared in my apartment alone, especially after scary movies. Usually Col…" Jackie stopped herself and softened her smile. "Usually I'm not alone."

It was quiet after that. The parking lot was empty and only the sounds Kelso whispering to the mother of his children betrayed the silence. Jackie smiled at them and looked up at the stars, causing Hyde, who was watching her, to do the same.

"They're so bright after it rains. The stars," she clarified and smiled over at Hyde. "Not Kelso and Brooke."

"Yeah, I figured," he nodded as he held his eyes on her.

Sensing that there was more resting on the tip of his tongue, Jackie nodded, too, and waited for him to speak again, to say something, anything. All he had to do was open his mouth and ask. Instead, he only looked down and sealed their fate.

"Well," Jackie stood up and smiled with the slightest hint of disappointment tucked beneath the surface. If he only looked for it, he would see it. "I guess I better get them home. They'll do this all night if you let 'em."

"Yeah, okay," he said and got to his feet only to stand and face her in silence. A moment later, after rocking on her heels a few times, Jackie nodded and threw him an all too familiar smile—sweet but disenchanted—and started to walk away. It was then that he panicked. "Hey. Jackie."

In anticipation, she turned back around. "Yeah?"

He froze at the sight of her. God damn it. Why did it always happen this way? What was it about her expectant eyes that made him lock up? His heart pounding, Hyde stared at her, trying to force the words out, trying to give them air. But they were stuck in his throat and he blinked into a downcast before he found her face again. Time had run out. "Night," he settled for and clenched his jaw.

"Goodnight, Steven." And then she walked away, grabbing Brooke and Kelso's attention as Hyde closed his eyes and turned back toward his van. After he got inside and dropped his head back on the headrest, he tried to figure out why he always did that. What was it about her that made him fucking clam up like that? It was her eyes, he quickly decided, seeing them in his mind. They begged for your soul, for everything you had. She was greedy and wanted it all. And the last time she had bewitched him and gotten him close to giving it to her, she had crushed it.

Snapping his eyes open, Hyde heaved a large breath and started his van up and turned on his radio as Jackie's car rolled past him with Kelso and Brooke inside.

… _be a simple kind of man  
Be something you love and understand  
Be a simple kind of man  
Won't you do this for me son, if you can?_

Some of the last few things Jackie said had him thinking, though, as he followed her car, splitting off from her as she merged onto the highway headed home toward Milwaukee. Had she been hinting to him? And what about when she said she didn't like being alone in her apartment? Was she trying to tell him something?

As Kenosha eventually turned into Point Place, Jackie's words continued to trouble him, slowly beating his brain into a near lobotomy, to the point where he couldn't think straight anymore. A fresh headache was stabbing through his brain on top of everything else, distorting the road ahead and making him tired. And it was these little things, these physical reactions, that were telling him that his ex-girlfriend had him screwed up like never before…

* * *

 **Eleven Minutes Later**

 **Hyde's Apartment Complex**

Throwing the van into park, Hyde bolted out of his van and jogged toward his apartment, bounding up the steps in twos until he reached the second floor and ran down the hall, slamming into his door. "God damn it," he cursed as he tried to find his key on a ring of several; all looking the damn same.

Eventually, he found it and got inside, only to run for his bedroom and curse some more.

"Fuck!" There must have been a hundred pairs of jeans on the floor. Still having a few good brain cells left in his head, he grabbed the ones on the bed and reached inside the pockets, smirking when he found it, all shiny and silver. His excuse. His reason. His key to her place.

On his way out, Hyde grabbed the overnight bag still packed from two days before and snagged his toothbrush before going to the kitchen to get himself a Coke. And there it was, his answering machine, blinking red. It made him stop and swallow hard. It was her, calling from Minneapolis to tell him about her day. His girl. She was probably in her hotel room, watching TV while she waited for him to call.

Letting his head fall backwards gently, Hyde closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Before he made a move, though, he placed both girls at the front of his mind. Both at their best. For some reason, Jessica owned his mind, his thoughtful, rational mind. She had the part of him that wanted to do the right thing. And Jackie…Jackie controlled his body. She made his chest heavy and his lungs burn until they felt like they were going to implode. And it was only getting worse. So, without another rational thought, Hyde grabbed his keys off the counter and headed out the front door while Jessica's voice sat blinking in his kitchen, waiting for her turn to be heard…

" _Hi, baby. I know you said you said you were going to the movies with Kelso. But I just wanted to call and say goodnight. I love you…"_

* * *

Thirty-Eight Minutes Later

Milwaukee, WI

Feeling slightly discouraged, Hyde stood at Jackie's front door and rapped his fist on her door again. Her car was parked outside but she wasn't answering. Ten minutes must have gone by while he knocked—or, at least, it _felt_ that long—and he almost turned to walk away. But the slight sound of music made him wonder if she could hear his knocks at all. Setting aside his reservations, Hyde pulled her key from his pocket and opened the door.

"Jackie?"

The place was dark. Not a single light was on. And it sounded like the Bee Gees were on tour in her bedroom.

 _I know how I feel  
Lonely in the black of night_

"Jackie," Hyde called out again, stepping toward the back room. "Hey. Jackie." He was careful not to make too much noise, afraid he would scare the crap out of her and end up with a baseball bat to the face. "It's me. Hyde."

He reached her bedroom door and peeked inside. There was no movement, no sign of her, only music and darkness. A solitary light source revealed itself, coming from between the slats of her mini-blinds, emitting a dark blue hue that striped the room and distorted the ruffles of her white bedspread, casting uneven shadows and making it impossible to tell if she was lying beneath the covers.

"Jackie," he said again.

A sharp scream jolted him backwards. Flying up into a sitting position on her bed, Jackie quickly scrambled back against her headboard, her eyes wide as she reached beside her and grabbed a large butcher's knife.

Horrified, Hyde threw his hands up. "Whoa! Whoa! Jackie! It's just me," he assured her quickly and, tentatively, took a step closer to her. "It's okay."

Loosening her grip on the knife, Jackie shut her eyes and clutched her chest; her breath coming in short bursts as her fists pounded onto the mattress beside her. "God, Steven! You idiot! You scared me! What the hell are you doing here?"

Disappointed, Hyde's pounding heart plummeted into his stomach. It wasn't at all what he was hoping to hear from her, and he deflated.

Crap. He screwed up.

Drawing in a deep breath, he took a step backward, preparing himself to make a hasty retreat. "Sorry. I thought…You said you didn't want to be alone."

"I don't," she said quietly as he focused on her silhouetted form. "C'mere."

Straightaway, he complied, full of hesitant relief as he strained to make out the familiar features of her face. However, when he reached her bed, his eyes adjusting to the dark, they became clear to him and a slight smile eased the tension from his lips. Her face—beautiful, of course—was welcoming as she climbed to her knees and crawled over to meet him halfway.

 _I live in a world where the face of an angel  
Is all that a fool can see  
You got the power to find me whenever I'm lost_

"Steven…" Still on her knees, Jackie went upright—her hips mere inches from his—and smiled as her fingers found his belt. "I thought you didn't have my key?"

"I didn't," he explained, turning his gaze down to her wayward hands, locked on his buckle as she drew the leather strap from its grasp. "I went home and got it." He looked back up to stare at her while she forcefully opened up his jeans, yanking his hips forward before moving her attention to the hem of his sweatshirt. Suddenly, he felt it rising and reached for the ceiling, inviting her to pull it off. She did, of course, giving him a playful smile when the black material rose to reveal his face again.

"Lay down," she whispered and dropped his shirt to the floor. From there, her body relaxed and fell back to the bed where she turned to her side and waited for him.

Quickly, Hyde undressed down to his boxers and climbed into her bed. "What's with the music?" he asked.

"I always listen to music when I sleep," Jackie replied, cuddling up with her pillow as he lay down beside her and pulled the blankets over them. "You know that."

 _Then what is my life  
If I don't wanna go through  
Anything without you  
Couldn't be life at all_

"This loud? I was knocking forever."

"I might have been a little scared." Jackie smiled. "From the movie."

His eyebrow arched high. "Well, if anything's going to scare Freddy Krueger, it's definitely the Bee Gees." With that, Hyde lowered his head onto the pillow adjoining hers and received his light smack with pleasure.

"Oh, shut up, Steven," Jackie giggled and reached over to turn down the volume. "I think you make snide remarks because you can't admit that the Bee Gees speak to your sensitive, orphan soul."

"Okay."

As the next minute passed, they simply stared at each other through the tiny expanse of darkness that separated them, completely unsure what to say. All the things leftover, all the apologies not given, all of the words unsaid, would be saved for another day. Tonight, Hyde reached his arms out below the covers and pulled her toward him, bringing his lips to within inches of hers. Her breath came in light puffs against his skin, and his desire to kiss her grew overwhelming. He'd fought against it all evening and was exhausted from wanting her.

Eagerly, he leaned in.

But Jackie backed away. "Steven, I'm…" Her mouth closed as she took a thoughtful pause but it reopened quickly. "Will you just hold me? And fall sleep with me?" At that, she stared at him expectantly and waited.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm still upset with you, Steven. But I don't want you to go."

Hyde didn't know what to say. The fact that she was still angry at him, he could accept and, of course, he would stay. And although he wanted nothing more than to be inside her, sex wasn't the only reason he'd come. But the thought of lying here with her dressed in a tiny little t-shirt, her body pressed to his all night, felt like cruel and unnecessary punishment.

Hyde swallowed. "Jackie, I did call. All day today."

"And I believe you, Steven… Please… Just hold me, tonight." Her pleading eyes bore so trustingly into his that the overwhelming guilt they inflicted on him—a feeling that he had once been able to suppress—took over.

Blowing out a lung-full, Hyde closed his eyes. "Yeah, sure," he muttered and, once the word disappeared from his lips, he felt her head snuggle happily against his chest. Below, her smooth, bare leg hooked over his hip and pulled him nearer, while her arms crossed neatly over her breasts, tucked comfortably between their bodies. Hyde had to marvel at how good it felt. The contact. She was so warm and soft, and her body was so delicate compared to his that he felt like her protector again, which felt far better than it should have. Curious about something else, Hyde inhaled through his nose and raised his eyebrows in approval. She smelled incredible. Clean and sweet.

As his arms tightened around her and melded their bodies together at every curve, Hyde slid his leg between hers to complete the cuddle and, as much as he ached for more, he tried hard to accept the fact that she only wanted this.

"Hold me tight, Steven," she said. "And don't let go."

Hyde squeezed her tighter, hoping to God he would be able to sleep despite the music, and hopefully soon, because he wasn't sure how long he could restrain himself from trying to seduce her. His mouth craved hers, and he had to wonder why the feeling wasn't reciprocal. He suspected Colin had something—or everything—to do with it. It was possible he had gotten to her the way Jess had gotten to him. But to hell with Colin. _He,_ Hyde, was holding her now.

For all he knew, it was for the last time.

Breaking through his thoughts, Jackie brought her hands to his cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered. "I really missed you, Steven." Gently, she pulled his head downward and touched her lips to his, closing her eyes as she rubbed them slowly from side to side. The feeling was driving Hyde crazy and, in his fog, he attempted to kiss her.

But Jackie denied him.

Bewildered, Hyde swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut. His heart was pumping furiously in his throat, transferring the blood from his brain down to the lower half of his body. He couldn't see straight anymore and the dizziness was beginning to overtake his senses. "Jackie …" He pulled her back. "Please." For fuck's sake, he was begging.

Having mercy on him, Jackie leaned forward again and pressed her mouth gently to his, giving him silent permission to kiss her once, allowing him, only briefly, to dip his tongue tenderly inside to taste hers, forcing him to take what he could get until she pulled away again.

"G'night, Steven."

His breath was heavy. "Fuck." Pressing his erection—rock hard and aching—against her, Hyde nuzzled his mouth toward her ear and hugged her tightly. "Can't you feel this?"

"Steven, no." Jackie held him at bay. "Look, maybe tomorrow. _If_ you've made it up to me."

Hyde's first thought was that she was punishing him, playing games, but her expression was too serious for that.

"Steven. I want to. But you really hurt me."

The way she said it snapped him free of his stupor. Her eyes, firm but sincere, were locked on his. He sighed and gazed past her head to the window where the leafless branches of a tree blew sideways with the fall wind. It was countless the amount of times he'd hurt her, countless how many times he'd felt this way, sorry for something he'd done. "Okay," he said.

Shrugging happily, Jackie smiled brightly. "You'll just lay with me? For real?"

Hyde nodded and smiled, too. It felt a whole lot better to make her smile than to make her cry. "Of course."

She threw her head at his chest again and hugged him fiercely. "Mm, this'll be fun, Steven. And you can make me breakfast in the morning," she said excitedly. Hyde chuckled, having forgotten that the girl couldn't cook for shit. "Ooh, you could make me one of your cheese omelets."

He cleared his throat. "Alright. How about this? I'll cook you breakfast, if you agree to eat it in the nude." Please with himself, he grinned and took his smack with pride before retreating back into their embrace.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, hanging out with her for a little while—cuddling, trying a few new things, things he might have scoffed at years before, like risking a baseball bat to the face just to cuddle or lying on his back in the middle of a skating rink just to make her smile. Hyde felt Jackie kiss his chest and the corners of his lips rose.

Tonight, he let her pull him down onto the metaphorical ice and, so far, he had no regrets…


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Forman's Eight (The Wedding Crashers)**

* * *

 _August 29, 1980_

 _Igniting around him in slow strobes, lights flashed and flickered behind the beat of the music; young bodies danced by twos in what played like slow motion; booze numbed feeling; darkness hid pain, but he continued moving through it, his focus set on the club's exit. And, of course, on her._

 _Possessively, he held her hand in his, clasping it tightly so he wouldn't lose her in the sluggish crowd; too afraid to let go; terrified that she would see straight through him and change her mind. He couldn't risk it. He needed her tonight. He needed her body. He needed to feel her precise shape, naked and warm, against his own. He needed her long, dark hair. He needed to feel it fall around his face as she kissed him with her full, pink lips. But mostly, he needed her hands. He needed to feel delicate pink fingernails scratch lovingly down his chest as she whispered his name into his skin._

 _He needed to feel something. But not just anything._

 _So, with a gentleness he didn't know he possessed, he helped her into his car, and drove them to her apartment. And as they walked her parking lot, he couldn't help but think about how much he liked her. She was being so quiet. And she seemed to know what it was he wanted. But, amazingly, she didn't seem to care. She only smiled as he stared at her._

 _She was beautiful._

 _Graceful, too, as she invited him into her home. As loose and fast as she was, she was his angel tonight. A God he didn't believe in had sent her to him. But he believed now. Because she was too perfect to be true. In the darkness, his heart beat for her, aching to feel her touch as he followed her inside and shut the door behind them._

 _Through silence, their eyes met and, by rare instance, he revealed his pain, shamefully._

 _Mercy in her eyes, she took his hand to lead him down the hall to her bedroom. He didn't speak as she shut the bedroom door; he only watched as she stripped bare and stepped toward him. His spine shuddered when she slid her fingers into his hair. It was a phenomenal sensation. It was her. He could feel her as he shut his eyes._

 _Within moments, soft lips touched his and he bent at his knees, her tongue carrying him into rapture as he picked her up to carry her to bed. Carefully, he laid her down and settled his hips between her thighs, stopping to look at her one more time before he pulled off his own shirt. In the thin veil of darkness, his fingers grew impatient against the fly of his jeans._ " _God damn it," he grumbled._

 _By a soothing hush, she stopped him. "It's OK, Hyde," she whispered and pushed him gently, rolling him onto his back._

" _Hey," he whispered back, sliding his hands tenderly over her hips. "Steven."_

 _Unfastening his button, she smiled and slid his jeans down his hips. "Close your eyes, Steven."_

 _Adamantly, Hyde shook his head. "I don't want to," he asserted and pulled her body down over himself to kiss her. As expected, her hair fell around his face, leaving him surrounded by the haunting scent of warm grapes. And as memories flooded his mind, Hyde clenched his shut eyes. Oh, fuck. She wore the perfume. The smell so familiar. It was driving his senses crazy, and hurting like all hell, until the endorphins and testosterone in his body saved him, mixing through his bloodstream to numb his heart. Softly, he kissed her mouth. He couldn't believe his luck. He almost slipped and told her he loved her. Almost._

 _His need for control mounting, Hyde rolled her to her back again to stroke her incredibly soft skin. Her flesh was perfect beneath his hands. Her breasts, small but plump. Her nipples, like little pebbles between his fingers. Her stomach… Hyde lowered his lips to the base of her sternum and began to kiss over every inch of her hot flesh until his forehead fell upon her abdomen. He didn't move. He couldn't. He was frozen painfully in the past as fingers meandered lovingly through his hair._

 _God, he missed her._

" _Are you OK, Steven?" she asked sweetly, her voice ripe with worry._

 _Looking up at her concerned eyes, Hyde rose to meet her lips again, giving her an even sweeter kiss than before. "No more talking. Okay?" he whispered, and with a look of understanding that surprised him, she closed her eyes and submitted, taking his tongue inside, her naked body writhing against his as she sucked eagerly on his tongue. Encouraged by her fervor, Hyde returned it two-fold, devouring her mouth like the starving man he was. Fuck. She liked this, he realized. She actually liked the fact that she was a stand-in, a replacement for something irreplaceable. And it wasn't until then that he noticed how hard he was for her. He needed to be inside her, needed to feel her warmth gripping him, needed to fuck her hard and watch her come._

 _Hyde sat up and pulled his boxers off as ten doting fingernails raked down his chest. And he smiled. "Jesus," he breathed out before forcefully flipping her body over and lying over her. "Don't say a word," he said into her ear before biting her lobe and scraping his teeth away._

 _With a satisfied smile, she moaned, and the intense pleasure of it struck his groin._

" _Oh, fuck." Agonizingly, Hyde shut his eyes as her hips rose from the bed to tease him. Then he opened his eyes, wanting to watch the twists and waves of her lithe little body as it moved for him. He reached out to pull lightly on her soft, brunette locks—so familiar—before inching his questing hands down to the hot, smooth flesh of her sides. She was perfect. She was her, and finally, he was home._

 _Languidly, he kissed her back, nuzzling his face over her skin. "I miss you," he whispered as he prepared to penetrate her. Dragging the tip of his erection between her soft folds, feeling them moisten and spread for him, he recognized how fucked up he was, how far beyond redemption. Because, as he slowly slid the length of his cock inside the girl named Carrie, he imagined it was Jackie he entered, it was she who moaned for him, who clutched him so eagerly, who fed his hunger. It was Jackie who begged him to fuck her harder, who thrashed and cried and bucked her hips like a shameless whore. It was her creaming, hot cunt that stroked him as he pumped his hips and grunted in ecstasy._

 _His mind rapt, Hyde turned his face to the ceiling. He could feel her coming on his cock._ " _Y_ _eah, come for me, baby." Digging his fingers into her hips, he thrust harder, faster, until he was slamming into her with such force that she began to scream out in deep, throaty grunts. "God, Jackie…" He could feel the warm droplets of her come trickling down her thighs, wetting his, and it sent him over the edge._

 _Quickly, Hyde pulled out of her and thrust into his own fist until he exploded over the small of her back, cursing at God as he experienced the most powerful orgasm of his life._

 _Spent, he collapsed beside Carrie and pulled her body into a tight hug, quiet as she kissed his face lovingly. With renewed desperation, his mouth sought hers, and it was when he knew just how fucked up he really was. It was a memory that had made him come, not the girl in his arms, a memory of his first love. He was sick. But by that point, he was too far gone to care. She was gone forever, and he had nothing to lose._

 **...Almost Four Years Later...**

 **November 10, 1984**

 **4AM**

Her chest quietly rose and fell with his. Breathe… In… Out… In… Out… As he exhaled, Hyde shut his eyes. It was hard to look at her when thoughts like these came barreling though his mind. They were embarrassing as hell, and he was ashamed that he had once been so weak. Not by the fact that he had loved her for longer than he cared to admit, but because he had let her win. Yet, she had no idea, no idea at all, how dark she had turned his world for almost two years.

The memories of the couple years that had followed her came through in dull, melancholic shades of blues and grays. The booze, the drugs, the sex and indifference; he had let it all have him. And, in that time, many women had entertained him, held him close and told him they wanted more of him; a few had cried for him and all had warmed his cold skin with theirs but none had made it past his flesh. Save one, who eventually won his heart. And _she_ …well, she got _this_ in return.

Opening his eyes again, Hyde looked at Jackie, his vision traveling from her hair, splashed messily over her pillow, down to her painted fingertips, light pink and spread over the sheet between them; she was the most beautiful thing he had ever pushed away.

Gently, so he wouldn't wake her, he lifted her pinkie and let it slide between his index finger and thumb. Everything about her was alluring, so supple and beautiful. But she made him weak, and he had hated her for it. This one girl, who knew how to draw out the monster that lived inside him; she could make him hate and want and love until he hardly recognized himself. And for that, too, he had hated her.

For years, he didn't know what in the hell to make of that. That one person could make him hate with such a searing fire that the world had turned black, followed by his heart, while burying him with his own love for her at the same time. She was an enigma. She, who got him to abandon the only good thing that had happened to him in five years, was crawling around inside him again, where the monster slept. He could feel it.

Delicately, he raised her pinkie to his lips and kissed the skin that he had been craving that faraway night as he made love to another. She was an enigma, a beautiful, painful mystery, back from forever…

* * *

…Almost Two Hours Later…

5:47 AM

The sullen blue tint of dawn arrived, and Jackie's eyebrows crinkled as it cast its evocative hue over Hyde's skin. Immersed in his outline, Jackie watched while four of her fingers grazed slowly down the length of his forearm before turning to sweep appreciatively up his bicep. He was perfect to her. And with that thought, she drew in a shuddering breath before moving to smooth her hand over the broad curves of his shoulder, then down the warm valley of his spine. Lowering her head to her pillow, Jackie closed her eyes.

He was perfect.

But he was not hers.

Thankfully, _he was sound asleep_ , so he couldn't witness her fall. Thankfully, the sounds of thunder cracking ominously outside veiled her shallow breaths, so he could not hear her struggle to catch herself. Thankfully, he would be aware of none of it.

A loud thunderclap startled Jackie to raise her head. Beyond the dark azure shadows of her window, the rain had not yet returned. But it was close. She could smell it in the air. She could sense its growing energy as she lay her head back down. It was as inevitable as all of the emotions that continued to rush up and crash into her with each rise and fall of his torso. She was on its edge. Waiting. And a chill prickled her chest. She was so close to plummeting over it with him that it scared her to death. In all her years of anger, through all the hurt, it had never occurred to her that one day he would grow into the man she had once imagined he could be, that one day all his demons would leave him in peace. If she had only waited as he'd asked, if she had only been patient with him, she could have been there for it. But she had pushed him away instead, demanding that he change _right then and there_ , when all he needed was time.

Sweeping her finger down the slope of his nose, Jackie smiled. He didn't leave. He had stayed, for the mere chance of a kiss. That was all she had promised… _if_ he made things up to her.

One kiss. And he stayed.

Leaning in, Jackie closed her eyes and found his lips, plumped and puckered from the pressure of his pillow. The kiss she left was tender, but it startled him from sleep nonetheless, making his eyes snap open.

Jackie smiled at his drowsy frown. "Hey, sleepyhead."

Hyde stretched and groaned. "What's up?" His arm popped out from underneath the covers and flopped over her waist as he closed his eyes again. Seeing an opportunity, Jackie scooted in closer and stared at him.

" _Ste_ -ven," she sang quietly. But he remained quiet. "Steven."

His eyes stayed closed. "Hmm?"

"What's my name?" she whispered.

"Hm?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "What's my name?" she whispered as softly as she could while rubbing her hand down his back, putting just enough pressure to make him feel good but not wake him up. "Say my name, Steven."

One eyelid stretched open and closed again. "Jackie, stop playing games. Go back to sleep."

At the sound of her name, and not another's, she smiled and laid her head down beside his. More than satisfied, she closed her eyes and, after a few minutes, drifted back into sleep, trying not to think about her feelings for him or the fact that someone was going to get hurt. Just like before…

* * *

 **Saturday, November 10, 1984 – 9:58 PM**

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **The Apartment of Jacquelyn Burkhart**

With a stretch and a sleepy sigh, Jackie smiled right into consciousness, wiggling her toes and straightening her arms and legs until they came back to life. "Mmm," she shrugged happily. It was a cozy, gray morning, and she felt rested. Plopping her hands down over her chest, she looked around. It was going to be another cold, cloudy, frizzy-haired day, though. It called for an up-do and lots of hairspray.

She turned her head, expecting to see Hyde pressed to the other pillow. But he was gone. Instinct forced a gulp. He didn't. Sitting up, she glanced around her quiet room. He wouldn't! The brunette tossed back her covers and swung her legs out of bed. It was freezing but her robe was nearby on a chair, so she grabbed it and put it on as she flew out of her room.

Not a moment later, Jackie's heart sunk as she searched every room of her empty apartment. Part of her had been hoping that he was just snooping around or watching TV or something. But he wasn't. He left and ruined her good morning.

If he were there, she would have kicked him. "Jerk." Jackie plopped down on her couch and felt her entire body sulk. But she reminded herself that he had probably just come over for sex, which meant _she_ had won, because he didn't get any. She sucked in both of her lips and blinked away the tears that wanted to come. Dabbing at the corners of her lids, she told herself that he wasn't getting her tears, that she wasn't getting feelings for him again. Feelings Schmeelings. Steven Hyde didn't deserve them.

A seething rage began to bubble up through her chest. Who the hell did he think he was, anyway? Treating her like some damned red-light district whorehouse whore, letting himself into her apartment…

Just then she heard a noise—like a key being jammed into her front door—and as it opened, she stood, immediately locking eyes with Hyde. She might have been happy to see him but her rage had her seeing red.

"What's going on?" he asked casually, shifting a brown paper bag from one arm to the other as he shut the door.

" _What's going on?"_ she repeated angrily and stalked toward him, stopping a couple feet away. He only looked at her, no change in his expression. "Where the hell were you? You just leave? And don't say anything. Like I'm some cheap whore that you can just lay in bed with and then walk out in the morning because you didn't get what you want? Well, think again, Steven _Hyde_!"

She stopped her tirade long enough to grow more pissed at his smirk. Her eyes narrowed.

"Are you finished?" Hyde asked coolly.

"No," Jackie responded. "Why'd you leave?" But his smirk only grew and she could barely _believe_ the nerve of him. "Is there something funny here, Steven?! Because I don't find the fact that you're still an insensitive ass _funny_ at all."

Hyde only took in a deep breath. "Your fridge is empty, Jackie. I was out buying the food I needed to make you breakfast."

As the words tumbled from his mouth, Jackie looked at the grocery bag he was holding. His eyebrows and shoulders rose at her; he was waiting for her response. As subtly as she could, she inched upwards onto her tiptoes and peeked into the bag. All she could see was the top of a half-gallon of orange juice.

She loved orange juice.

"Oh," she said, feeling foolish. "Steven, I…I'm sorry." Warily, she took a step toward him. With doe eyes, she offered a slight smile. "I thought…"

"Yeah. I know what you thought, Jackie."

"Steven. I didn't mean…"

As he watched her, to her surprise, the smirk began to creep back over his lips. "You were sad…" At that, Jackie frowned and tilted her head. "…that I was gone."

"No," she denied flatly. "I…"

His expression only shined with satisfaction. "Yes, you were. Just admit it. You want me here."

Her mouth fell open, just about to make an argument but she closed it up. There was no way on earth she was going to admit that she had been sad at the thought of him leaving; or that she had been on the verge of tears. Oh, God, no.

"Hmph. You wish, Steven," she said haughtily and turned her shoulder on him as her heel followed. "I just wanted my breakfast," she insisted to save face as she headed for her bathroom. "And I expect it to be ready when I get out of the shower."

Hyde scoffed. "You can expect to starve then, too."

"I heard that," she called back and shut the bathroom door.

* * *

Two Hours Later

12:03 PM

At the foot of Jackie's bed, Hyde lay with his head propped in his palm, so bored that he had to blink several times just to make sure he wasn't in a coma.

"Come on, Jackie. Will you just get dressed already," he demanded for the twentieth time as he rolled onto his back, completely frustrated with her. "Your hair looks fine."

The next thing he knew, her hurried form was breezing past his head. "Steven, I don't have time to chit-chat with you right now; I have to get dressed!"

Annoyed, Hyde rolled his eyes away and sat up to watch her. And just like that, his mood lightened considerably, impressed with the vista of his ex-girlfriend in a little cream-colored silk slip, hair in loose curls, legs bare, and panties presented as she stretched up on tippy toes to search for something in her closet. Hyde smiled.

"OK, Steven. I need you to help me decide which shoes go with…" Jackie trailed off as she turned around, two small boxes and a dress in hand. His molesting eyes, playful and lascivious, were set all over her body and Jackie bit back her bottom lip in a smile. "Steven, are you even listening to me?"

Hyde shook his head. "Not one bit. C'mere," he said, making her smile rise as she stepped closer to the bed and let him pull her down over him. He fell back with her and reached up into her hair, his wandering fingertips igniting her skin with goose bumps. "I want that kiss now," he said, raising his lips to meet hers.

Frowning teasingly, Jackie moved her head back. "Who said you get a kiss?"

"You did," he reminded her. "Last night."

"I said _maybe,_ if you make it up to me. I'm still mad at you, Steven."

Hyde only blinked at this.

Confused, Jackie continued. "You know, 'cause…'cause of what you did." Her arms were holding her torso high above him but she let them slack slightly. He looked so cute and sweet lying beneath her, his hands still in her hair, blinking, waiting for his kiss. "Steven, I told you…"

Then she blinked, too, slowly, relaxing as she smiled at him. Okay, well _maybe_ he did deserve a _little_ kiss for making her a cheese omelet. "Okay, _one_ ," she offered, putting a slight grin on his face. "But then that's it, Steven. That's all you get."

Staring down at him, the wavy tips of her hair framing his face, Jackie noticed the drowsy contentedness that whirled in his eyes. He was happy. It was flowing off him in waves. And it was because of her.

"C'mere," he whispered through the rumble of thunder outside, raising his head as he pulled hers down. Their lips joined but neither puckered; they only touched, rubbing lightly until they both closed their eyes and smiled into a deep kiss. A sharp inhale forced his body to rise into hers and as the energy amplified between them, he rolled her to her back. Lowering his head, Hyde tried his best to steal another kiss, but was stopped by her invading hand.

"Op," she blurted, turning her face to the side, her palm over his lips. "No. No. I said just one."

Grimacing something awful, Hyde pushed himself up. "You were serious about that?"

A pouty scowl on her face, Jackie pushed him off of her and positioned herself back over him. "Do you like the way I kiss you, Steven?"

Hyde frowned. "Is this a trick question?"

"No," she smacked his chest, "I'm saying that if you're good, you might get another."

To Hyde's dismay, Jackie took her lips far away from his and stood up, grabbing her things as she did. "But for now," she continued, "you need to help me decide which shoes go better with this dress." In pure confusion, he watched as his ex-girlfriend did the craziest damned thing. She put two different shoes on, hooked a wire hanger over her neck with a dress hanging from it, and stood like a freakin' flamingo, alternating feet, over and over and over again. "So, what do you think? These or these?" she asked. "These or these?"

Hyde let his confusion show. "Is this another trick question?" He watched her feet. "Can't you just ask me if you look fat or something? 'Because I know the right answer to that one."

"No. Steven. I know I'm not fat. Now which shoes? These or these? These or these?"

"They both the exact same."

Planting both feet on the ground, his half-dressed, half-irritated ex-girlfriend pointed down sternly. "This one has a strap, Steven!"

He tried. A moment, maybe two, passed and he looked back up at her with a shrug. "Yeah, I'm not seeing the difference..."

* * *

Two Hours Later

Hyde's Apartment

As she sat on the edge of Hyde's bed, Jackie bent down to fasten the ankle straps of her favorite chocolate heels. When she was done, she stood up and looked herself over, fluffing her fall dress. Hair perfect, nails painted, dress flowing, shoes strapped, lips lustrous and kissable. Only one thing remained. Her date. Looking over to the other side of the room, where a nearly bearded Hyde frowned into the mirror, his chin raised, irritated as he tried to knot his tie, Jackie smiled.

"Here," she said, strolling over to him. "Let me do it." Without protest, he lowered his arms and stood quietly as Jackie straightened down the two ends of his tie again. As she did, her eyes glossed over the image of him in his suit. It was dark with a nice cut, and it was hard to ignore how handsome he looked in it. She wondered, though, why he had it. "You look so handsome, Steven," she told him sincerely, her eyes and hands focused on making the perfect knot while his simply focused on her.

"You look beautiful," he replied, unconsciously placing his hands on her hips.

"There," Jackie said, smoothing her hands down his tie. "Perfect."

Nodding, Hyde drew her a little closer, "Thanks," and Jackie let him take the third kiss of this gray-skied November afternoon. She could never refuse a man in a suit...

* * *

 **Thirty Minutes Later**

 **2:34 PM**

 **The Forman Basement**

 _'Africa' by Toto plays on a newer stereo._

Donna watched her man smile and step away from the new stereo that Red had bought for the basement—his new man's room. "Eric, I swear to God, if I have to hear this song one more time, I'm gonna—"

He stopped and outstretched his arms. "I can't help where I come from, Donna."

"You were there for five months, Eric," Donna argued rather pointlessly since he only stared back at her. "Almost five years ago, may I remind you."

"Yeah," he said, sitting down beside her. "But five months without you felt like a lifetime, Snuggle Bear."

"Oh." Coyly, Donna smiled and then giggled. "Well, then. I guess," she glanced at Brooke. "I guess it's OK then." The redhead leaned over and hugged him. And behind her, Kelso winked at Eric and gave him a sly thumbs-up, receiving a relayed wink in return.

Just then, Hyde walked in, dressed to the hilt. "Hey. You guys ready?"

"Oh, wow, Hyde," Donna pulled away from Eric, and jutted out her bottom lip. "You look nice. And no, we're still waiting for—"

"Hey!" came from behind Hyde as Jackie bounced in through the basement door. "You guys ready?"

"Wait?" Donna looked between them. "Did you two come together?"

Jackie and Hyde only looked at each other. No answer left their lips until Fez sauntered up condescendingly, remembering their strange activities from the night before. "Yes, that is an interesting question Donna has asked, _"_ he said. _  
_

Smartly, Hyde made no concerned expression as the foreigner circled him. "Not really, Fez. Jackie pulled up right behind me."

"Uh, huh," Fez replied coolly, "I see," and stopped, a glare set on his curly-haired friend. "Okay, that makes sense. But just know that I am watching you."

"Whatever, man," Hyde sneered and walked over to his seat to sit down. As he did, though, a loud shriek pierced the entire group's ears.

"Oh, Donna! You're wearing a dress!" Jackie exclaimed, shuffling over to her friend where she fluffed and primped her gussied up companion. "Oh my God, you look like a girl!"

"Yeah, you know, I've been one for twenty-five years now, Jackie," Donna said.

With a truly amazed smile, the small brunette shook her head. "You would _never_ know."

Donna rolled her eyes. "So, uh, Hyde. I see you didn't shave like I asked."

"Hey," he said, "nobody tells me when to shave." He looked at Jackie. " _Nobody._ I'm taking the week off."

"Aw," Donna pouted, unable to help herself as she walked over to him and pinched his cheeks. "Look at the little tough guy, being all defiant while his girlfriend's away."

Irritated, Hyde yanked himself from her grasp. "Whatever. So, you guys ready or what?" Then suddenly, as he looked around the room, it hit him. He hadn't noticed before, but behind the couch, in a red leather jacket, a white glove and aviator shades stood Fez. "Man, what the hell is Fez wearing?"

"You're just _now_ noticing?" Eric said.

Scowling, Hyde folded his arms as Fez strutted out into the middle of the room and modeled his 'Beat it' threads. "Yeah, I'm not going with him dressed like that."

"Amy," Jackie snarled from over by the deepfreeze. "What are you doing letting him out of the house like that?"

"What?" Amy frowned, though it changed quickly into a small chuckle when she looked at her boyfriend. "I think he looks sexy."

Kelso finally spoke up. "You better marry her, man."

Placing his arm over his girl's shoulder, Fez waved them all off. "You just watch. I am going to be the belle of the ball."

Eric shook his head. "The point is to blend in, Fez, not…" He looked around and laughed. "… moonwalk in."

"Yeah, we can't bring attention to ourselves," Brooke worried.

"Come on, Brooke," Eric pointed at his misfit band of friends, "Look around this room; we all know that _that's_ not going to happen."

Taking a few steps toward Hyde's chair, Jackie scoffed as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "You got that right. My doctor husband and I are going to so be the admiration of all those single skanks hoping to catch the bouquet. Come on, honey."

"Uh, yes, dear." Hyde stood up and looked around. "Come on, let's go." Without another word, the entire gang gathered their coats and headed out into the cold November day.

"Oh, man," Donna was getting excited and grabbed Eric's hand. "I want an alias now."

Eric smiled and looked around cunningly. "Come on, we'll think of something to beat Jackie and Hyde along the way…"

* * *

 **Kenosha Howard Johnson Hotel**

 **Banquet Hall Parking Lot**

 **The Krakowski-Robinowski Wedding**

Here, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the November sky churned a bright shade of gray, reveling with energy, as three cars rolled up and parked all in a row—a light blue '83 Dodge minivan, a black '68 el Camino, and a white '77 Dodge Charger. From them, popped out the gang from Point Place, all dressed finer than they had ever been before, each grown in their own right and looking dapper on this cloudy fall afternoon…

With an arrogant affect, their leader Eric Forman raised his chin and straightened his tie, primping as he swaggered up to the other three men. "Alright, fellas. Let's go show these Kenoshites what they're breeding' out in Point Place."

All four gave a cool nod.

Nearby, Jackie fixed the pins in Donna's curled hair and looked pointedly at her three girlfriends, as serious as she'd ever been. "Alright, this is it, girls. It's finally time to show these ex-Kenosha-High _bitches_ up." With heads held high, all four women nodded and pranced—hips swaying—straight over to their dates.

Lightening flashed above as all eight came together in pairs. Ominously, Eric looked around the ill-formed circle of misfits. "Everyone got their aliases?" Every couple nodded. "And remember, this is every man for himself. The moment we step through those doors, I don't know a single one of you."

Hyde scoffed and grabbed Jackie's hand, ready to go. "Easy, man. I've been trying to pretend I don't know you guys for years."

"So, who's going first?" Brooke asked warily, still feeling as if they were doing something wrong.

From inside the banquet hall, the bass guitar riff to 'Billie Jean' began to pump louder and louder, mixing with a beat that made Fez's feet begin to tap as he felt the groove.

"We will go," Fez volunteered stoically. "I will distract them all with my moves."

Amy winked. "Let's go, baby."

The foreigner grinned and turned back to his friends. "Watch and learn, bitches..."

…Fez and Amy…

The rest of the gang watched on as Fez—dressed in all his Michael Jackson glory—linked arms with his girlfriend and led her toward the party, moving like a cool cat on the prowl. No fear in his step…

 _She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene  
I said don't mind, but what do you mean I am the one  
Who will dance on the floor in the round…_

Once inside, the pair was greeted by a handsomely-dressed older gentleman with a hospitable smile. "Welcome to the Krakowski-Robinowski reception. Would you like to sign the guest book?"

Excited, Amy shrugged her shoulders and scrunched her nose. "Sure!"

Beside her, Fez put on a smoldering stare and shifted his feet and hands in a brilliant King of Pop impersonation before extending his hand to the gentleman. "Jackson… _Fez_ Jackson." As they shook, the man frowned and looked over the foreigner's rather explosive outfit.

 _People always told me be careful of what you do  
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts_

"Well, welcome Mr. Jackson." He shifted his gaze to Amy. "Mrs. Jackson, I presume?"

Amy gave a huge smile and stretched out her arm as well. "That's right. But you can just call me Billie. It's nice to meet you. The wedding was beautiful."

Fez smiled slyly. "Yes. Yes, my dear. It certainly was a 'Thriller.' Wouldn't you say?" Obnoxiously, the pair laughed and waved off the joke, strolling away toward the dance floor, moving together to the music as the gentleman glanced down at the last guest book entry.

 _Fez and Billie Jean Jackson…_

… Jackie and Hyde …

 _Billie Jean is not my lover  
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one_

 _But the kid is not my son  
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son_

"Come on, babe. Let's hit it," Hyde conveyed with confidence, hooking his arm around Jackie's waist as she did the same with a proud smile.

"Lead the way, Doctor."

The rest of the gang looked on as the well-dressed Dr. and his Mrs. strutted off behind the trail of Fez and Billie Jean. With curious intrigue, though, Donna puckered her brow the moment they stepped though the double glass doors, swearing that she saw the good doctor goose his ex-girlfriend…

"Welcome to the Krakowsi-Robinowski reception. Would you like to sign the guestbook?"

"But of course," Jackie responded elegantly with a slight curtsey as she bent to write. "By the way, I'm Alexis and this is my husband, Jim." She winked through her smirk, whispering, "He's a doctor."

The man looked impressed with the young doctor. "Oh, a pleasure, Dr. uh…"

"Hendrix," Hyde finished for him with a pleased grin.

He bowed slightly at Hyde. "Well, welcome Dr." Then at Jackie. "Mrs."

The brunette's jaw dropped, as a pout began to take over her envious face. "Dr. and Mrs… Oh, Steven, did you hear that? You know, if you had just applied yourself…"

Hyde laughed nervously and pushed her toward the door, sending the brunette flying into the party. "Time to get some liquor in you, darling," he called after her as he grinned at the man and thumbed in her direction. "Alcoholics. They make skanky bed-partners, though, am I right, Jeeves," Hyde chuckled as he slapped the horrified man on the arm and headed off into the party.

The man looked down.

 _Dr. and Mrs. Jimi Hendrix…_

…Eric and Donna …

"You ready, gorgeous?" Eric asked his fiancée as she slipped her arm in his.

"Yeah, but you haven't told me your plan, yet."

"If we're meant to be, Donna, you'll catch right on."

The last remaining couple watched as Eric and Donna made their way toward the double glass doors, ready to make their own play for glory…

 _She came and stood right by me  
Then the smell of sweet perfume  
This happened much too soon  
She called me to her room_

"Welcome to the Krakowsi-Robinowski reception. Would you like to sign the guestbook?"

"Why of course, young sir," Eric responded pompously, extending his hand. "The name's Luke, by the way. Glad to meet ya."

As it all hit her, Donna's entire body stiffened. Immediately, the tall redhead rolled her eyes and glared over at her man.

"Luke? Still? _Really_ _?"_

Nervously, Eric glanced from the greeter to his girlfriend and smiled. "And my wife here, my one and only, my true love that I will wash the dishes for tonight's name is…"

With revenge in her green eyes, Donna shifted her sights over to the gentleman in black. "Leah," she grumbled through clenched teeth and a smile. "Leah _Pinciotti._ It's a pleasure."

Eric shrugged. "Eh, close enough," he muttered as he signed the guestbook and tossed the gentleman two bits as he followed his pretty lady inside.

 _Mr. and Mrs. Luke Pinciotti…_

…Kelso and Brooke…

 _Billie Jean is not my lover  
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one  
But the kid is not my son…_

"I'm scared, Michael."

"Don't be, baby," Kelso told her soothingly, his arm hooking around her waist. "We're not gonna be like any of those guys with their stupid names."

"But Michael. Our names are kind of…"

Adamantly, Kelso shook his head. "I said don't worry, baby. You're with the master. I've done this a hundred times. I know what I'm doing…"

"Welcome to the Krakowsi-Robinowski reception. Would you like to sign the guestbook?"

Kelso grinned and held out his hand. "Senator Presley. Nice to me you, kind sir."

The old man narrowed his already beady eyes. _"Senator_ Presley, huh? What legislature?" he queried suspiciously.

At such blatant disrespect, Kelso became flustered and, quite frankly, a little offended. "What do a bunch of books have to do with anything here!? I'm a senator, man! Where's your manager?" The affronted senator grabbed his wife's hand and dragged her into the reception as he glowered over the man who dare question him. "Come on, Priscilla. Let's get outta here…"

* * *

One Hour Later

 _'Waiting for a Girl Like You' by Foreigner is playing loudly over the speaker system._

Jaded, the gang from Point Place sat around a circular table that they had confiscated from some drunkards from the bride's side of the family. No one had noticed them so far, no one had said a word. It was a successful crash in technical terms, but there was one problem…

With a huff, Kelso sat back in his seat. "Man, what a waste this reception turned out to be. Two drink maximum. What idiot has a maximum at an open bar?"

Directly across from the grumbling police officer sat Donna, who was reading over a small program, displayed at all the tables. "Well according to this, all the money from the alcohol sales goes to pay for their daughter's extensive medical bills."

"Bills schmills," Fez groused, a sour-puss expression on his face as Amy lightly backhanded him. "Ow. What? Damn. I want my free booze like Hyde promised."

"Yeah, I'm bored, you guys," Jackie added.

Hyde threw down his napkin. "Yeah, let's get out of here, man. I've been sober for way too long. It's coming up on," Looking at his watch, he grimaced painfully, "Augh! Sixteen hours."

From across the table, Amy continued to playfully pat at her boyfriend for being such a jerk, swatting him cheeks until his sunglasses accidentally fell to the floor. "Look what you are doing, woman!"

She only laughed, though, as he bent down and reached below the table to grab his aviators. He found them immediately and was about to sit back up when something interesting caught his eye. Straight ahead on the other side of the table, a girl's dress was pushed up her thighs while a man's hand gently rubbed and squeezed at her flesh. Fez frowned. "What the…" Was it Eric and Donna? The female getting felt up looked much too small to be Donna or Brooke.

Peering above the table, Fez looked but it didn't seem right. Hyde and Jackie were on the other side of the table. He bent down again to look.

"Fez, what are doing?" Amy asked, only to find herself yanked down with him below the table. "Hey, what the hell is up with you right now?"

"Look," he pointed sternly. "Over there." It was hard for her to make out but there was definitely some under-the-table mischief going on. "Who is that?" Fez asked her. "Because," he pointed up as Amy shook her head in confusion. "It doesn't match."

"What do you mean, it doesn't match?"

Together, the couple peered over the table at the faces that matched those legs and hands. Hyde was casually talking to Eric at his right while Jackie laughed with Brooke at her left. Sharing a strange look, Fez and Amy ducked back down and gawked at the activity going on below everyone's noses. It was them all right.

Moments later, Jackie's small hand began to play with Hyde's until they interlaced their fingers and played some more, thumb swirling around thumb, fingers duck-diving below fingers.

At that, Fez looked at Amy and gestured that they should sit up. Quickly, they did, still unnoticed. "I don't get it," Amy began as the two huddled together in secrecy. "Did Hyde and Jessica break up?"

Fez shrugged. "How should I know?"

"Well, I don't think they did. Jessica would have called me. And Jackie was just talking about Colin."

"Well, maybe Jackie hurt her leg and he was just…you know, massaging the area for her?"

"Fez, if you massaged someone like that, that wasn't me, I'd kick your ass."

"Understood. Damn, they are doing it…"

* * *

 **Twenty Minutes Later**

 **The Ramada Inn Parking Lot**

 **The Brown/Jackson Wedding**

Looking around at his friends, Hyde grabbed Jackie's hand and pulled her back until she was standing beside him. "Yeah, I have a funny feeling about this one. Jackie and I are going last."

"Oh, don't be such a chicken, Hyde," Kelso derided as he moseyed around the pair and turned to face his friend. "You know, it's like the older you get, the _softer_ you get."

Hyde stepped forward into Kelso's face, his hand still with Jackie. "And you're still just as dumb as the day I met you."

"Well, at least I'm consistent," the taller man countered as he pointed into the reception hall without taking his taunting eyes off of Hyde. "Fez, since Hyde is being such a _wussy_ , you go first this time."

Fez grimaced. "But I went first last time."

"Exactly," Kelso responded, making the foreigner frown in confusion as his girlfriend shook her head.

Pleased, Hyde smirked with his tall friend as Fez and Amy took off again for the second reception of the day. He and Kelso had both seen the patrons walking in as they pulled up and knew already that they weren't going to blend in.

Eric walked over. "You know it's only black people in there right?"

"Oh, yeah," Hyde answered with a nod as he chuckled with Kelso.

"Steven," Jackie scolded. "He's going in there dressed like Michael Jackson."

"That's why we're laughing, Jackie," Kelso said. "Keep up."

Donna shook her head as a smile fought to get past her lips. "You guys are terr…"

"RUN!" an accented voice screamed out as a girl laughed ahead of it. "GO! GO! Start the cars, you sons of bitches!" Everyone looked over to see Fez and Amy dashing toward them with several black men in tuxedo walking briskly on their tails. "Move!"

In all the chaos, people scattered and Hyde lost hold of Jackie's hand. He spun around to see her being whisked into the van by Brooke. Her gaze remained on him, though, eyes fixed as the door slid shut and locked her inside.

"Hyde!" Fez yelled out, moving quickly to push his laughing girlfriend into the el Camino. "Start the car."

"Okay," Hyde replied as he got inside and started his car, peeling out first since he carried the focus of the aggression marching toward them. "What the hell did you do, man?"

"Uh," the foreigner was out of breath as he spoke. "I, uh, I sort of…"

Amy giggled. "He called them all whores when they wouldn't let us in."

"Yep." Hyde nodded. "That'll do it."

* * *

 **Fifteen Minutes Later**

 **5:02 PM**

 **The Carter Plaza Parking Lot**

 **Manning/Freeman Wedding**

Inside the van, deep in the farthest backseat, Brooke and Jackie spoke in whispers as Kelso pulled up behind Hyde's car.

"I can't help it, Brooke," Jackie whispered. "And don't you dare judge me."

Brooke shook her head. "I am _not_ judging you. I'm worried about you, Jackie," the mother of two explained leaning down to catch the line of her best friend's sight. "What happens when Colin gets back, huh? Or Jessica for that matter. Are you going to be able to stop? And if you can't…"

"I can," Jackie interjected.

"And _if_ you can't," Brooke continued more insistently, "you have to consider the fact that he's probably not going to leave her. And even if he does, Jackie…He's still _Hyde_."

Mis-matched eyes widened in anger. "You know, everyone's always putting him down. And I love that you and Kevin and Michael want to stick up for me but…Steven was a good boyfriend, okay. No one seems to get that. In private, we were so in love, Brooke. He just… I don't…I don't know what happened to him."

A deep breath allowed Brooke to reframe her argument. If she had learned anything about Jackie, it was that you had to just tell her like it is. "I'm not putting him down, Jackie. I see that he's changed some, okay, but it doesn't change the fact that he's _not yours_ …Not anymore."

"I know that. And it's OK. I don't want another relationship with him, Brooke. I just want…He…" Jackie took a deep breath. "I missed him, Brooke. I never realized how much until now. I just want to be with him for a little while. That's all. "

Sighing in defeat, Brooke hugged her friend, taking note of a certain guy walking hesitantly toward the van door. "OK. OK. Here he comes."

Urgently, Jackie pulled back, needing to say one final thing to her friend before the door slid open. "He missed me, too, Brooke."

Understanding, Brooke nodded. "Alright," she said, giving in to the desperation in Jackie's eyes, needing her to understand. "OK. Just…be careful. You two are seriously terrible at sneaking around."

Jackie laughed, and then, putting an abrupt end to their discussion, the slider door was opened by the oblivious subject matter, who wore a slight smile for his date. "Hey."

Even more worried than before, Brooke watched as Jackie lunged at the man that had once broken her into a million pieces, feigning helplessness so he could hug her and lift her out without curious minds wondering why. But much longer than seemed necessary, the two held their embrace and fought through another urge to join lips. Sadly, they were more apparent than they believed. Thankfully, though, no one was paying any mind. The pair had been left alone in their whirlwind for a week now, hearts gone unchecked by those who had invested so much in them. But Brooke's intelligent brain, ripe with experience, knew that it was only a matter of time before Hyde would unintentionally shatter her again, having no idea of the unfathomable depths at which he was loved…

* * *

A Couple of Minutes Later

All eight twenty-somethings stood in a row, staring up at the white, Gothic facade of the Carter Center Conference Hall. It loomed ominous as all ten of its stories seemed to pulse with the music that drifted from inside. Each could practically taste the intoxication on its tail. And with a rebel yell, Billy Idol and the party-goers who danced inside taunted and pushed them, daring the mischievous intruders to join the drunken revelry.

… _In the midnight hour, she cried-  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"  
With a rebel yell, she cried-  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"_

Everybody looked nervous except for Kelso and Hyde, who only grinned, accepting the enthusiastic challenge. "I think I'm going to like these people," Hyde remarked to no one in particular and turned to his date with a low voice. "You comin'?"

Jackie smirked and nodded once. And then there it was, another thing she had missed about Hyde: the mischievous glint in his eyes, the rebellious list at the corner of his mouth that told her he was up to no good.

Hyde grabbed her hand and led her toward the party, leaving the rest of the group to come alive, too, as the pair headed for all the commotion.

" _MORE, MORE, MORE!"_

With a glare of insolence, Eric snarled his upper lip and nodded. "Yeah. I'm with Hyde on this one. Let's go, gang!"

"They can't bust us all," Donna reasoned as Hyde shoved open the two glass doors that stood between them and all that free booze. With delicious arrogance, he draped his arm over Jackie's shoulder as they strutted down the main hall, heading toward the party. That was the key, he decided. Screw all the fake name crap. Walk in like you own the place. Walk in like you're supposed to be there and, by a single look, defy anyone to question you.

That's how you crash a fucking party.

Beside the banquet room doors stood a sign that read: The Manning/Freeman Reception. And by the sign stood a young woman, at whom Hyde only raised his chin and winked self-importantly. Smiling at his side, Jackie tightened her embrace around his waist and flipped her hair as the woman smiled and opened the door to reveal one hell of a celebration.

 _Because! In the midnight hour, she cried-  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"  
With a rebel yell, she cried-  
"MORE, MORE, MORE!"_

Nodding his approval, Hyde grinned at the veritable nightclub they stepped into, his friends standing in awe behind him. "Now this is my kind of party," he told them.

"Viva la free booze!" Kelso screamed out, taking Brooke's hand and pushing past everyone to carry her off toward the bar. "Wahoo!"

As lights flashed around him in faint orbs, illuminating the unlit bash, Hyde felt Jackie tug his body to the right. At the same time, the rest of the gang was dispersing, Fez dragging his girlfriend toward the dance floor while Eric and Donna made a beeline for the grandiose blue-lit bar on the other side of the large reception hall.

"What's up," Hyde asked Jackie as she backed herself into a wall, bringing him with her. Her mouth opened, but no answer left her painted lips. Instead, he felt both her hands slap against the sides of his face, stinging his cheeks as her insistent tongue invaded his mouth. Their lips moved frantically together, tongues penetrating deep between each smack of their desperate mouths. "Hey," he managed within a much-needed breath. "Hey. You pick now to make out?"

"I'm not mad at you anymore, _doctor_ ," she said through her Bubbalicious flavored kiss, and Hyde found that his weakened mind was beginning to gradually sink southward.

"Ohhh, shit. Come on," he insisted and yanked her away from the wall, pulling her into the crowd to let the dancing bodies shelter them from discovery. Pushing his way through, Hyde reached the center and stopped, wrenching her body flush against his as he started to slowly sway her.

"It's like Halloween," she reminded him. He didn't say anything, though. He only gave her a faint smile as he rocked her from side to side.

If they meant to blend in, they were failing. Moving two beats behind the crowd, Jackie and Hyde were too busy staring at each other, wondering if they could, if they could really get away with it.

Suspiciously, Hyde glanced around as her cheek touched his. Fez and Amy were giggling at each other nearby and Kelso was pulling Brooke toward them. Neither couple was paying attention but one look and Hyde knew that he and Jackie would be busted. "This whole thing freakin' sucks."

"You're telling me?" Jackie swallowed, her mouth struggling to keep from diving at his. It was so close. His lips and breath were warming her ear, making her delirious with want.

"Stop breathing on me like that," she heard him whisper into the heated appendage.

"I can't help it."

Hyde clenched his eyes shut as she exhaled again. "Damn it. I told you we should've made out earlier. But you had to play games."

Jackie wrinkled her brow. "I wasn't playing games, you idiot. I was really mad at you."

"And I told you I was sorry."

"I know," Jackie pouted, a wry smile sweetening her face, "and now I'm not mad at you anymore."

"Yeah," he grumbled. "But now we're stuck in public, and I'm pretty sure that means no fooling around."

With a loving pout, Jackie leaned back and set her eyes on him. "Aw. Steven. You want to fool around with me?"

He smirked, happy with the expression on her face. It always meant she was pleased with him. "I do."

Coyly, Jackie tucked her bottom lip behind her teeth and smiled. "Kiss me."

"Jackie..."

"Just a quick one," she explained, finding his soft spot with a pleading pout. "Pwease. I _really_ need a kiss, Steven." Swiftly, she leaned in and whispered something more persuasive into his ear, "I want your tongue inside me," and leaned back again.

"Oh, God," Hyde muttered, staring at her waiting mouth, also finding himself turned on by the prospect of getting caught, at the wrongness and danger of it all. "Okay." He looked around. "Get ready." Smiling gleefully, Jackie waited for him to locate their friends and determine that there was, in fact, a brief window of opportunity that was showing itself. "One…" He glanced at her. Her lips were parted and ready. "Two… Kiss me good…and that means tongue…" She giggled in anticipation. Just to be sure, his eyes made one more sweep around the room, "…Three!"

* * *

Some Time Later

"Oh, crap! Run!"

Her short legs scrambling behind his, Jackie let Hyde pull her behind the DJ booth and draw her cheeks in for another kiss. His fingers lay tenderly over her ears, the feeling carrying her far beyond the world around them. Every moment that passed with him meant another piece of her heart being taken away from the man she loved, and it scared her, but Hyde was earning every bit of it with his furtive kisses, so tender and full of passion. She couldn't remember him ever being this focused on her, so committed to her lips. It made Jackie wonder about his past feelings for her…

Urgently, she separated her mouth from his. "Steven?"

He looked high. "Huh?"

"That night, with Chris, when you asked if we could…you know."

His drowsy eyes left hers and widened at the sight of Donna getting closer. "Man, what the hell? We've gotta move…"

* * *

Some More Time Later

"Jackie," Hyde whispered as he took a few careful steps. "Where'd you go?"

To answer his question, a petite hand reached out and wrapped around his tie, jerking his body in the dark behind a tall plant. Without hesitation, his mouth met hers and yet another secret kiss was realized after ten minutes of concealed planning. They had both announced trips to the restroom, two minutes apart, and though they were pushing their luck, Hyde couldn't bring himself to quit. Her kisses pushed so deep inside, far past sexual excitement. It was a wild feeling, knowing you were falling for someone but being too immobilized to prevent yourself from doing it. He wished it would dissipate, just go the fuck away and leave him alone. But it only augmented with each touch. He was imprisoned, trapped in her web, needing more while spiraling completely out of control.

Hyde grabbed her head and gave her a fervent kiss, pulling away quickly. "Let's go…"

* * *

One Minute Later

6:41 PM

"To Leo!" Kelso shouted, raising his shot glass high into the air. It was filled with the amber liquid of the night, putting smiles all around the table, while the others raised their arms as well.

"To Leo!" six toasted, two being absent from the group.

With a wiggle, Donna shut her eyes and took her shot, wincing as it burned down her throat. "Agh! So, where the hell are Jackie and Hyde now?" she asked everyone. "I swear they keep disappearing."

Brooke glanced at Eric. "I think Jackie went to the…" The grumble of a man clearing his throat interrupted her, causing the brunette to look to her right as Hyde sat down and looked around casually.

"What's up? Where are my shots?"

"Right there," Donna pointed to a small tray in front of Eric.

There was no hesitation. The thirsty Hyde grabbed two of them and immediately shot them both back. With arched eyebrows, the redhead watched him take a third, and then a fourth, waiting until he set his glass down and looked at her.

"What?" he sneered, wondering why he was being watched.

"Where's Jackie?"

"How the hell should I know?" Hyde replied. "I don't keep track of where she goes."

Donna frowned at his insolence. "Fine. I just figured you might know, okay? You don't need to be a complete ass about it."

Hyde reached for another shot.

"Hey, you guys!" Jackie's perky voice called out as she approached the table and sat in the empty seat next to Hyde. "What's going on?"

Handing her friend her shot, Donna frowned. "Where'd you go?"

"To powder my nose," Jackie answered promptly, taking the drink from her. "You should try it sometime, Donna. I can practically see my reflection in your forehead." Tossing her head back, the impudent brunette gulped down the Jack Daniels like a pro and smiled at Donna's forehead while fixing her hair. "Hold still, Donna."

Donna rolled her eyes, and Hyde grinned at the irritated redhead. "See, now aren't you sorry she didn't _stay_ gone?"

The offended brunette glared at him. "Oh, shut up, Hyde."

"You shut up," he grimaced.

"Make me… Jerk."

With a disgusted scowl, Hyde blew out his retort. "Wench."

The rest of the group looked on as the bickering pair stared each other down and then seemed to get over it when they looked away. A few minutes passed in which Fez told his tale of the black guys who didn't believe that he was really a back-up dancer and distant cousin to Michael Jackson. But when 'Heaven' by Bryan Adams began to play over the large speakers situated throughout the room, Jackie sat up straight in her seat and pushed Hyde with a giant smile on her face.

"Oh! I love this song! Come on, Hyde; I need a dance partner."

 _Oh, thinkin' about all our younger years  
There was only you and me  
We were young and wild and free_

But, of course, her defiant ass of an ex-boyfriend made a face at her. "I'm happy right here. But you go knock yourself out," he said, smiling. "Ow!" he yelled, turning back to Jackie as he leaned down and grabbed his ankle. "What the hell are you kicking me for?!"

Jackie pushed him again. "Because! I'm your date and I want to dance! So, get off your ass and dance."

"I said no," he said and bent down again. "Ow! God damn it, Jackie!"

 _Now nothin' can take you away from me  
We've been down that road before  
But that's over now  
You keep me comin' back for more_

"I'll leave your shins alone if you dance," she promised with a look on her face that told everyone watching that she wasn't going to be giving up anytime soon.

"Fine," he growled and stood up as the persistent brunette started to flounce off toward the dance floor. Hyde turned to his friends at the table. "If she disappears again, don't bother looking. She'll be in a shallow grave outside," Hyde grinned wickedly, "but I'll be long gone."

Donna watched him walk away and gave a relieved smile. "Well, it's nice to see things finally back to normal," she told everyone. "They've been being all… _pleasant_ with each other and it was really starting to freak me out."

"You're telling me," Kelso added. "Earlier, Jackie said she wanted some punch and Hyde, like, got up and got her a cup of punch." He scoffed. "Now that's just not right..."

Thirty feet away from the gang, vanished inside the crowd, Hyde gave Jackie a slight smile and reeled her toward him. Taking her hand, he tucked it close to his chest and began to rock her to the slow beat.

"Do you think they bought it," she asked him worriedly, her free hand wringing at the material covering his upper arm.

"Hey, if Donna bought it then the rest of the Rascals bought it," he reasoned. And at that, Jackie smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. He always sounded so confident. So in control. Whether he was or not didn't matter. They were dancing. And though, they weren't exactly alone, it felt like they were as he swayed her body soothingly from side to side.

"I'm ready to go, Steven." Jackie raised her head, wanting him to see her plea. Focusing on his eyes, she strained to see through him, trying to let him in to see through her. "I want to be alone."

Hyde swallowed and she knew, as he stared back at her, that he could see what was in her heart. "Okay…"

"One, two, three!" the gang shouted, their fists pumping, before, like a wave, they all gulped down their shots and laughed. Eric finished last.

"Is it just me," he slurred loudly to his fiancé, "or is this boat rocking harder than before?"

Donna laughed. "We're not on the boat anymore, dummy. That was last week."

"Oh, yeah," he replied, shaking his head as he took another guzzle of his beer. As she frowned at him, Hyde and Jackie stepped up behind Kelso and Brooke.

"Uh…Jackie's feeling sick." Hyde stuck out his thumb as the brunette beside him nodded and pouted with the feigned expression of an ill girl. "So, I'm just going to…you know…I'm just going to drop her off at home."

"Jackie, what's the matter?" Donna asked her while, beside _her_ , Amy and Fez shared an intrigued look.

"Oh, I think it's just all this cheap wedding catering." She turned to an unsympathetic looking Brooke, who had her arms folded. "At least you know who not to choose." Jackie cringed at the irritated look on her friend's face.

Nudging his partner-in-crime away, Hyde nodded. "Well, we'll catch you guys later."

"Wait. Hyde," Eric straightened up, "Are you coming back?"

"What?" A shake of his head and Hyde pointed to his ears. "I can't…I can't hear you!" he shouted over the not-that-loud music and took off with Jackie in tow.

"But…" Kelso looked at Donna. "Hey, can I have his shots?"

* * *

Through the dancing crowd, Hyde walked, his attention lying squarely on the exit as he squeezed Jackie's hand, making sure she was still with him. Before she changed her mind, or saw through him and found herself there, he needed to get her home.

As they approached the exit, double glass doors flew wide open, letting in the excited wind that served to announce the night's impending storm. It blew back the fleeing pair as they crossed the threshold out into the blustering, but colorful, late fall afternoon.

Beside him, Jackie's lips parted in pure wonder.

It was surreal—the dream-lit sky, the storm, the moment, her, all of it.

Like a painting churning to life, leaves of brown, orange, and red swirled around through the air in front of them. It was as if the earth was waking up to celebrate the shower it was about to receive. Foliage rose and fell in mid-air, mating to create shapes against each other, circling and making love until they found another to birth new forms with in their vibrant unions. Feathers danced with twigs, bedding them with lift and giving the small sticks the wings they needed to fly.

In the middle of it all stood Jackie and Hyde, motionless and watching as it all transpire around them. To their right, the setting sun, visible in the west and unhindered by clouds, shone brightly behind a sky tinted in pinks and purples, illuminating the thick sheets of rain that finally began to fall.

Hyde looked over at Jackie and then up to the sherbet sky before settling on the bodies of running wedding guests around them. Only he and Jackie remained still. Everyone else ran for shelter as the clouds opened up to wash the sinful world clean. Hyde heard a scream and laughed as rainwater startled the pretty girl at his side, making her cling to his arms as she sought shelter.

"Steven! It's freezing!"

His vision blurred while raindrops stung and beat on his face. He shut them. "Crap! Hurry," he yelled over the sudden downpour and pulled her to run with him while she shrieked and screamed as water filled her heels and flattened her hair. "You've gotta run faster, Jackie!"

"I can't!"

Up ahead, on the other side of the lot, was his car, and he could have run a whole lot faster, made it through the rain in less time, but her smaller legs kept him at a slower pace, holding them in its cleansing shower. Her slippery hand gripped his and a rush of heat warmed his previous sensibilities about her. It was getting worse.

They reached his car, and he let her inside.

With trusting eyes, Jackie looked up at him, her soaked body shaking as she hugged herself. "Turn on the heat." Quickly, he nodded but as he walked around the trunk of his car, a rage filled him.

"Damn it." The heater fan had blown its fuse and he hadn't replaced it yet. He got in. "The heat doesn't work," he told her, watching as her teeth chattered, letting her breath seep through for him to see and feel guilt over. "Hang on. I can get to my place in ten minutes." He started the engine. "Put your seat belt on…"

The drive to his apartment felt like an eternity and the cold was starting to reach him, too. It was freezing and his chest was starting to hurt from shivering.

"Steven?" He looked over. "Your teeth are chattering," she giggled while hers did the same, her usually pink lips now a deathly shade of purple. He smiled though his trembling jaw.

"Your lips are purple," he informed her. She only whimpered and nodded.

"Yours, too."

Not but ten minutes later, they were back in Point Place, shaking in their seats and staring through the cold rain to his apartment door. "You ready?" he asked and received an uncoordinated nod as she started to cry. "Run as fast as you…Jackie." His grin turned into concern. "Come on. We're almost there."

"I know. My wh-whole body just h-hurts."

"Alright," he said and got out, running around to her side to open the door. He yanked her out and slammed the door shut, towing her with him while she jogged as quickly as she could through the storm. Looking back at her, seeing her shake and shiver, her lips near blue and her face turned down in discomfort, Hyde finally understood the nature of his attachment to her.

In all their years spent miles away from each other, with all the women he had laid beneath him in her place, through all the hurt he had dished out to relive his pain, she was always the one he thought of late at night, wanting to protect, to fix things for, to make feel comfortable, to lay against him. At one time, it had bothered him, his love for her. It had made him angry, made him hate her even. But tonight, all he could so was think about how much he liked being around her.

How she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Wha-what?" she stuttered through her convulsions, fighting to keep her smile. "Steven, why are you staring at me?"

He shook his head and let her inside. "No reason." She ran in, and he followed, slamming his back against the door to shut it. The apartment was like an icebox inside, and she stood before him in her icy dress, her skin pale and wet, her eyes flashing between his. "Here," he said, drawing her in for a hug. But they were like two ice cubes merging. No heat to give to the other.

"You're making me colder, Steven," she whimpered. He stepped back.

"Damn, Jackie. You're like a Popsicle," he grumbled, growing angry at the pain in his body and the distress on her face. "OK, I have an idea."

With an urgency that startled her, Hyde reached around her and unzipped her dress before yanking it down her body, causing her to yelp at the sudden drop in temperature. "What are you doing?"

"Undressing you," was all he had to say as he raised her quaking arms to the ceiling and peeled off her sodden slip, leaving her in only her underwear, quivering in the middle of his living room. Her arm came down right onto his coat and, to his surprise, she yanked it down over his shoulders and off his arms, tossing it aside before her numb fingers tried to work his buttons.

"I can't move my fingers," she growled. "They're frozen."

"Get my belt," he told her while he got his shirt off. Within a minute, thanks to her, his saturated socks and shoes and his drenched pants were completely off his body. They stood for a moment, dressed in only their underwear as they stared dumbly at each other. Implementing his plan, Hyde threw himself at her body in another hug.

Jackie tried her best to hug him back, but her muscles sat rigid beneath her skin, making it nearly impossible to move. "This was your plan?"

"No," he responded and scooped her chilly legs up around his waist. Catching on, she coiled every limb tightly around his body, burying her face in his neck to place hot, wet kisses on the cold, damp skin of his shoulder.

"Hang on." Kicking past the crap on the floor, Hyde hurriedly carried her trembling form into the small bathroom off of his bedroom. His mind was turning to ice but he kept enough mind to shut the door behind them. The last thing they needed was more cold air. Immediately, he moved to the shower, while, thankfully, Jackie clung to him like a baby monkey, allowing him to free his hand and twist the shower knob. A sharp hiss announced the steaming spray of water. "Almost there."

"Oh, my God," she shivered when he seated her on the counter top to un-strap her shoes. "Hurry, Steven."

With determination, Hyde raised her foot to rest against his chest. But soon became frustrated with the tiny buckle that his frozen fingers struggled unlatch. "I'm trying, Jackie. Dammit! What the hell is wrong with this thing?"

"Here. I got it," she said and pulled them off her feet, wasting no time in reaching her arms out to him so he would get her down. Quickly, and once he had Jackie on her own two legs, Hyde slid her panties down her wet thighs and finally felt the blood in his body begin to heat up as it rushed down to his groin. Making it practically boil, her fingers tangled into his hair while she steadied herself and stepped out of the lacy material.

Time seemed as frozen as their rigid bodies while his eyes traced over her body in the light, his hands planted firmly on the sides of her thighs. She was _perfect_. Closing his eyelids, he leaned in and placed a kiss just above her knee, stretching his tongue to drag it up her inner thigh.

From above, Jackie watched. "Oh, Steven," she whined. "Your mouth's so warm." Drowsy with the small respite of heat, Jackie let her eyes flutter shut and rolled her neck backward. A sharp pulse of life pumped into her lifeless body, making her fists clench at cold, wet curls.

The ceiling above her appeared to move in waves, bewitching her as her mouth fell open. His tongue had finally reached the highest crest of her inner thigh. Jackie's frozen brain warmed to the feeling of his tongue between her legs, lapping gently at her, his mouth clamping down around her. Like he had promised she would, she was forgetting all about the pain that tormented the rest of her body. Rolling her neck around to see him, she reveled in his closed eyes. He was lost in what he was doing.

"Steven," she whispered to him.

And then his heat left her to move slowly up her abdomen, his arms wrapping possessively around her waist while tender kisses foraged a path all the way to the base of her breasts and stopped. She hugged his head, watching as he nuzzled his face into her sternum. "Steven?"

With that her feet left the floor and she, once again, had her limbs wrapped around his body. "Hold on," he said and walked her a few steps. "You ready?"

She smiled, realizing that she was still frozen solid, still shivering in his arms. "Uh, huh." He stepped into the shower and shut the door, immediately bringing her body beneath the hot spray.

The hot water hit her and her entire body stiffened. "Oh my God! It's burning," she screamed.

"Just wait," he chattered, still freezing himself as he stood out in the breeze. She felt him bounce her up to get a better grip on her as the water began to finally work its magic. She felt a rush of heat surround her and it felt good. _Really_ good. Shutting her eyes, Jackie placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned back into the warm blanket of water that he was offering, letting the hot liquid wash the cold from her hair and off her skin. It was similar to an orgasm. Warm ecstasy. And at that moment, she couldn't ever recall feeling so much pleasure.

"Oh, God," she moaned, her breathing intensifying from the incredible satisfaction. And when she didn't think it was possible to feel any better, she realized that even more pleasure was shooting through her entire body. There was a tug on her nipple and she straightened her head to confirm that Hyde had his lips on her breast. He was still shaking, though. "Put me down," she told him, wishing everything that she was feeling on him, too.

"You're done?" he asked as her feet landed on the shower floor.

"Get under the water, Steven." She could feel him quaking, still frozen, but where the water ran down and collected between them, where their naked bodies met, he was warm and hard and ready to take her. The desire in her body, now relaxed and tepid, began to collect there, too. They were both ready, she determined while Hyde spun them around, seeking warmth, too, as he positioned himself beneath the shower spray, gasping at the contrast of intense heat on his chilly skin.

"Ah! Fuck, it's hot."

"Just wait," she told him, her hands holding his head to guide it under the water, letting her fingers wash away the cold from his hair. "Doesn't that feel good?"

"Oh," was all that left his lips as he closed his eyes.

Searching out more of what felt like smelted gold, Jackie wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her body against his, cuddling him as streams of heat flowed down his flesh and onto hers.

Hyde drew his head forward and hugged Jackie tightly, and, together, they stood, bodies slick and joined in the heat of one another, lost beneath the warmest feeling they had ever experienced, a feeling he never wanted to end.

And it was then that he realized he was still in love with her, and how much he always had been. No more was he screwed up, no more did he have to pretend; she was really here…


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Regret and Other Screwed Up Tales**

* * *

If we could take the time  
to lay it on the line  
I could rest my head  
Just knowin' that you were mine

* * *

 **Sunday, November 11, 1984.**

 **10:42 AM**

 **Milwaukee, WI**

 **The Kelso Household**

Sitting closely beside her mother on the couch, Betsy Kelso giggled the instant her always-silly daddy slid into view during the first bar of 'Old Time Rock n' Roll,' dressed in only his underwear, a dress shirt and tube socks.

Next to her, Brooke laughed and shared an amused glance with her daughter. Stealing the show, though, during the second bar, was her son, who followed his father's exuberant entrance, hopping into sight while wearing the same exact outfit—diaper instead of underwear—plus a pair of oversized Wayfarers.

 _Just take those old records off the shelf  
I sit and listen to 'em by myself_

Smiling faces both, Brooke and her daughter began to bop in their seats as the two boys got down to the music. "Whoop!" Brooke yelled out in encouragement.

"Go Daddy!" Betsy followed as she clapped.

Beside Kelso, the small toddler bounced and rocked out to the beat, serious as a heart attack as he mimicked his father's smooth moves. Kelso nodded proudly. "Look at him, Brooke. He's a chip off the 'ol good-looking block. He's gonna have the chicks droppin' like flies."

Brooke laughed at her two men, and watched as her husband-to-be imitated Tom Cruise, making her laugh even more. It was a Sunday morning, her favorite day of the week. She didn't have to work and neither did he. Betsy was home from school and well, Bradley was Bradley, partying around the clock like the rock n' roller he was.

"Uh oh," he heard Brooke say, her wincing eyes staring now at Bradley's incriminating diaper. "I think Mr. Cool Guy here has sprung a leak."

Kelso looked down to find his son's diaper oozing brown and raised his hands. "Whoa! That's all you, baby. You saw it first."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said, standing up, carefully taking her son with her. She gave Kelso a quick kiss. "Make Betsy a sandwich."

Kelso took his kiss, glad to have gotten out of that one. "I can do that." Watching Brooke walk away, he waited and then looked at his daughter. "Smiley face grilled cheese?" But just as she nodded, the doorbell rang.

"Michael! Get that!"

"I'm in my underwear, Brooke!"

"Here Daddy," a little voice called from below as his dress slacks from the day before were nudged against his leg.

"Thanks, Bets." Quickly, Kelso jumped into them and headed for the front door, his daughter tagging along and safely tucked behind him when he finally turned the knob…

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in Point Place...**

"No!" Jackie screeched, laughing as Hyde caught her and scooped her body up over his shoulder to take her back from where she had escaped.

"You are," he said, giving her ass a good, hard smack.

"Ow," she giggled, and, in return, slapped his boxer clad rear with both hands as hard as she could, only stinging herself in the process. "O-o-o-ow." She laughed even harder, half whining this time as her body fell limp. "I'm not!"

"Well, I say you are," Hyde insisted upon their return to his private bathroom. Gingerly, he set her down on her feet and straightened up with a cocked eyebrow. "Alright. Go on. Undress."

"I'm not dirty, Steven," she reiterated lamely, choking on the laughter that was bubbling up in her throat. Hyde only looked at her, waiting, and Jackie gave up, sighing loudly, knowing that this could go on all day. "Fine, but _then_ we cuddle, Steven," she pointed. "I want to watch that movie."

Hyde frowned, looking down, pondering. He looked up. "Alright. But I'm going to have to insist that you be naked during the whole movie." Then, of course, he grinned, quite pleased with himself while he watched Jackie roll her eyes and tilt her head at him. "Hey. It's my house, Jackie. My rules."

Then she shut one eye at him. "Hm. How about I be dressed in something skimpy _a-a-and…_ I let you feel me up the whole time instead?" she offered.

Looking up, imagining all the possibilities, Hyde nodded. "Yeah, I like it."

There was a flutter in the center of Jackie's chest when his eyes settled once again on her, giving her the chills, and she had to smile again. They were living in their own delusional world, playing house on someone else's turf, but for some reason, neither seemed to give a shit. Or maybe they did, but it was just easier to pretend they didn't.

"You are," she heard him whisper, and broke out into the tickle-induced giggles as he snarled and gnawed at her neck.

"Ahh! Steven! I'm not!"

* * *

 **…Milwaukee…**

"Kelso?" the young woman at the front door asked warily. She was pretty, around his age, and next to her, wandering the front porch was a small toddler, while, behind them poured the cruel rain that refused to go away.

His brow puckering slightly, Kelso could only stare at her. Her face seemed like one he knew. One of Brooke's friends?

"Yeah," he answered. "Are you here for Brooke, 'cause you're gonna have to wait. She's…"

"No. Actually, I'm…" The woman stopped, her bottom lip dipping behind her teeth in nervousness. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Suspicious, Kelso nudged Betsy back. "Bets, go help your mom," he muttered to her. And when she left, he stepped forward and looked from left to right. "Is this about Ronnie?" Kelso practically growled at her, regarding his rather greedy paper boy. "Because I tipped that little snot. No matter what he says. That little punk's been shaking me down for months."

"What?" the girl said. "No. Kelso." She sighed. "My name's Allison." Her eyes widened, hoping to make him see. "You don't remember me? Geraldine's Pub. My friend and I went home with you and your friend, Hyde."

Kelso's heart dropped. A quick peek behind him revealed that Brooke was still dealing with Bradley, so he stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. "Did I not call you or something?" he questioned her in a low voice. "'Because I used to do that _a lot._ You can't take that personal."

"No, that's…You didn't call actually," she sneered. "But that's not why I'm here. Look. I've been trying to find you or Hyde for a while now. He doesn't live at that apartment anymore and he stopped going to the bar a little after that night."

"You've been looking for us?" To that, she nodded, and Kelso grimaced. "Why?"

"Why do you think?"

Kelso scoffed, his eyebrows arching high. "Look. We obviously didn't talk much that night or you'd know that riddles aren't exactly my piece of toast."

"What?"

"Huh?"

"My friend got pregnant. Okay?" she blurted. "That's why I'm here."

Kelso swallowed hard. "Is this still part of the riddle?"

* * *

 **…Point Place…**

Jackie moaned, her jaw moving and spreading wide open in time with Hyde's. God, the way he was kissing her, hard against the bathroom door, the passionate kind of kisses that she devoured recklessly; the kind she still couldn't believe were coming from him. It was no wonder Jessica was always smiling. She was getting _this_ every day. That thought got Jackie heated more and more by the second, though. That girl had no damn idea how hard it had been to get him to this place when he was younger. She, of course, had managed it on occasion, but not without some real effort and a lot of patience. Blondie had no God damned clue.

But this, this kiss, this was him wanting her… _her_ …so badly, without effort. She could feel it on her tongue, and in his kisses and teasing licks. His breath was heavy, his mouth forceful, hands demanding as they kneaded at her flesh. Maybe… Maybe it was because he had missed her. God. Jackie wanted to smile, wanted so badly to believe it. Part of her hoped, while part of her denied, that he had missed her as much as his body seemed to convey.

"God, Jackie." He jerked her chest closer to his, quickly, insistently, bending her spine, and kissed her harder, deeper. Jackie whimpered, hugging his head tighter. His tongue was so sweet in her mouth. The entire experience of him made her body rouse with an implosion of chills, while her heart felt like it couldn't take anymore of him. It hurt. Her whole chest hurt with something terrifying.

A whimper escaped from her lungs, and in swift movement, Hyde tore his lips away.

Stunned and knocked out of her fog, Jackie's eyes snapped open to find him frowning at her somberly, out of breath. "Seriously, Jackie, if you don't want to…"

Her eyes grew wide. "No. No," she uttered quickly, making a rabid swipe at his lips with hers. They were so hot to touch. God, and engorged with blood. Swollen. Every part of him was. "I want to." He smiled gently in relief and lowered his gaze back down to her lips. Obviously, he was done with talking. "God, Steven…" She grabbed his head and forced his mouth down over hers again, crushing her lips hard into his to pry them open. And there it was, his clean, saccharine tongue, penetrating her again. "Oh, God. I'm dirty, Steven," Jackie whimpered, clumsily trying to hook her bare leg over his hip. "I'm so dirty, baby."

"Oh… fuck. OK," he stammered and ripped his old green t-shirt straight off her body, making her cry out in surprise and smirk wild-eyed as he gave her naked, heaving body a depraved inspection. "Yeah, you're dirty all right..."

* * *

 **…Milwaukee…**

"What's wrong," Brooke asked him, but the question got lost inside the thickness of his fear. Even her face looked garbled, and Kelso wondered if he would pass out, his only thought being that if he did, Hyde and Eric better never find out. They would tease him relentlessly for months. Years even.

Don't pass out, he told himself.

"Nothin' baby," Kelso managed. "Uh… I gotta go to the store."

"For what?"

"For, um, hair gel," he stammered, unsure

"Isn't there hair gel in the bathroom cabinet?"

Kelso stomped his foot. "Damn it, Brooke! Why are you always interrogating me?"

Brooke only scrunched her nose in confusion. "Whatever, Michael. Just make sure to be home for dinner," she said, walking back toward their bedroom. "I'm making you're favorite."

Kelso nodded. "Yeah, okay…"

* * *

 **…Point Place…**

A rush of adrenaline struck Jackie's already flooded heart and, involuntarily, she mewled like a kitten into his mouth. Skin. His. Warm and Smooth. All over hers. From her lips to her torso and around to the small of her back. God, his body was on fire. Feverishly so. Heat was everywhere as their tongues melted and tangled together between zealous, needy kisses.

"Now," she whispered and, just like that, his muscles tensed around her waist, making her toes separate from the floor as she was lifted back into the shower for the third time in less than twenty hours. Without upsetting the rhythm of their kiss, Hyde shut the shower door and carried her deeper inside.

Almost forgetting where she was, Jackie gasped, steam entering her lungs, when he settled their bodies beneath the warm spray and began to explore her with his mouth.

"God, yes," she whispered, lowering her head to watch as he kissed and sucked in the molten liquid that trickled down her shoulders. "How do we keep ending up in here?"

"Who cares," he responded, gliding his lips across a multitude of tepid streams until he reached her open mouth again. Slanting her head, Jackie took his dripping tongue in deep. Water was everywhere. In his mouth, in hers, making their kisses careless and messy with no distinct borders to guide them. Everything was so wet and warm and… "God, you make me so fucking hard, Jackie."

He wasn't lying. She could feel him, engorged against her lower abdomen, and decided to give him some relief. Closing her eyes, Jackie moaned, nipping at his bottom lip as he cupped her breasts firmly, rolling and pinching her nipples between his slicked fingers.

"I want you so much, Steven," she whined and reached through the waterfalls between their bodies, her heart bounding as she took him into her hand and wrapped her fingers around his rigid shaft. Slowly, her light grip glided over him. And she smiled proudly, loving the pained look that washed over his face.

With an almost distressed groan, Hyde dropped his head to watch her wet feminine fist work over his dick, his breaths recessing when she gave him a squeeze and a sharp tug. "Oh, fuck, Jackie." He closed his eyes and reached into her hair to kiss her again.

Again. Her heart swelled. His mouth was tender and affectionate against hers. Lips felt even softer than they had only seconds before as he languidly played with her tongue. Arms held her more lovingly than they ever had. Releasing his erection, Jackie threw her arms around his neck; gasping the moment he straightened his back and took her body with him toward the side wall of the shower, his hand barely cushioning their collision.

As Jackie let out a sharp cry of surprise, Hyde grabbed hold of her thighs and yanked her legs around his hips, leaning her up against the warm dew of the Formica wall to ease the tension on his arms. "I can't wait anymore," he whispered into her neck, trapping her skin between his teeth. "Hang on tight to me."

Treading her fingers through his damp mess of curls, Jackie rolled her hips in answer. "Mm. I need you inside me. Come on, Steven. Now," she demanded and moved to lick the tiny droplets of water from his shoulder, the building steam only blinding them further from the rest of the world as Hyde raised her hips and re-positioned her over him. Clinging tightly to her torso, he forced her body slowly down slid inside her.

Filled deep, Jackie opened her mouth to cry out but it only froze agape as she closed her eyes.

Hyde kissed her wet skin as he, half hugging her slippery body and half allowing his weight to bind her to the sweating wall, made use of his hips and began thrusting into her—slow and deep until he found his rhythm. Reveling in the sensation of her warm, slicked chest caressing his, he hugged her tight and bit kiss after kiss into her neck. Each plunge inside her took him higher and higher and compelled him deeper. "Jesus, Jackie."

A faint whine seeped into his ear, making it sound as if she was about to cry. "You feel so good, Steven."

His release building, chest aching, Hyde quickened his pace, his strokes accelerating until he was eventually pounding himself into her body, hard and fast, and without mercy. "Fuck," came rumbling from the back of his throat but was quickly cut off by her excited mouth.

With both her swelling clit connecting entirely with his pelvis and the fulfillment of his thrusts, Jackie quickly felt orgasm surge through her body and threw back her head in ecstasy as his arms nearly crushed her ribs. High in her peak, she felt the erratic jerks of Hyde coming inside her and tightened her legs around his hips, rubbing free the last bits of pleasure.

Quickly, Hyde forced her hips down over him and ground her against himself as she practically strangled his neck in a bear hug. Silence followed as her body shuddered and tensed around him. Then, only pants and whimpers filled Hyde's ear while he turned and slid down the wall with her, exhausted from yet another round.

"Okay," he panted back and swallowed hard. "We're…" He swallowed again. "We're lying down after this, watching that movie. I can't… No more Jackie…"

Clinging to him still, she nodded. "Uh huh. But… You started this one…." She paused, taking a few recuperating breaths.

"Well…but…oh, crap." Hyde dropped his forehead against the wall and shut his eyes. He was so tired that his lids felt as if five-pound weights dangled from them. "Can we just sleep right here?"

Wearily, and so pathetically, Jackie nodded again against his shoulder, her eyes shaded from consciousness, too. "Okay…"

* * *

Thirty-Eight Minutes Later

Squeaky clean and more tired then he'd felt in a long, long time, Hyde sat on the far end his couch with his temple resting against his fist. No lights, except for the flicker of his television. No noise, except for the quiet voices on his TV and the trickle of afternoon rain.

Sleep wanted him.

Partly giving in, he let his eyes flounder and fall shut. And in the darkness behind his lids, he wondered if he could just hold out a little longer for Jackie. She really seemed to want to lie with him and watch this dumb movie. And, for some damn reason, he found himself really wanting to do whatever made her happy. Years of making her cry and then more years of having no effect on her whatsoever had left him, somehow, at her mercy—a location two doors down from hell if that pain in the ass ever found out.

Every intelligent cell in his body told him to take her home and never look back, that she was fucking his head up, that she was going to ruin his nice life, and that all of this time with her could only end in disaster. Because he knew. He knew that Jackie would be gone as soon as her boyfriend came home. Plus, his own girlfriend would return soon and give him that look that never failed to make him feel like complete shit for being a dick to her.

Hyde cringed. The whole thing was fucked up.

Opening his eyes, he looked around at the place that Jessica usually occupied. Would she see through him? Would he be able to keep up the lie when she wrapped herself around him and told him she loved him? More than anything, he hated having to lie.

"Fuck," he muttered and felt his chest ache with that guilt. Take Jackie home, take her home.

Hyde turned his eyes back toward his bedroom and suddenly found it hard to swallow. The thought of sending Jackie away sucked too. He didn't want her going anywhere. He wanted her here, with him, even as the thought of losing Jessica ate a hole through the center of his chest like acid.

Jackie, though, had made it clear days before that she wanted to stay with Colin.

Turning his head back toward the television, Hyde frowned. That feeling deep beneath his rib cage quickly turned into anger. If she wanted Colin so bad, what the hell was she doing here with him, kissing him and touching him the way she was, moaning his name the way she had when they were in love. All he could think was that this really was just a fling for her, which, maybe it was for him, too. He could buy that. Only problem, though, was with that wringing feeling in his gut… that one that Jess sometimes gave him, that Jackie had shown him he was capable of; it was getting worse. And he knew what it was now. He knew exactly what it was.

Irritated with himself for allowing it to get this far, Hyde smoothed his palms down his face, rubbing his eyes sleepily as the cause of his misery stepped out of the bedroom behind him, only her voice finding his senses.

"All taken care of," he heard in her cheerful voice, her gentle fingers suddenly tearing his hands from his eyes while she wiggled her way onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I have the whole week off. Kevin's going to take my assignments."

Seeing through blurred eyes, Hyde watched her smile. She was excited and expecting the same from him in return.

But he only nodded at her, making her shoulders slump in confusion.

"Steven?" She looked at him expectantly, then worriedly, charging his mind with a million memories, before her face fell and her hands slapped over her lap in frustration. "I thought you'd be happy."

"No," he sighed, "I am. You have the week off. That's cool."

Hyde nodded curtly, maybe a little too curtly, but he couldn't shake his previous thoughts. What exactly was her plan? To stay the whole damn week, make him more and more stupid until he was a complete idiot and then just go home to her boyfriend while he was forced to watch them together during holiday parties and weekend fucking get-togethers? "It's great," he mumbled.

"Steven," Jackie scolded with a smack for his chest. "You jerk. Last night you asked me to stay."

"I know, I..." Carefully, Hyde slipped his fingers over her ear and into her damp hair, bringing her lips to his to put it all into a kiss. Regardless of her reasoning or motives, he still didn't want her to go. "You can stay."

With a new smile, Jackie pulled away. "Good. 'Cause I have two rules…"

"Rules?"

"Yes, Steven," Jackie scoffed. "This IS me. There are going to be rules, especially for you." As Hyde sneered at her, Jackie began her list of demands. "One: we can't be here the entire time. Colin's going to call and wonder where I am." At that, Hyde rolled his eyes. Colin. He was sick of hearing that damn name. "Two: you're paying for everything. It's the gentlemanly thing to do. Three: you're shaving that beard, Steven. My _face_ is chafing, and I'm supposed to be in a wedding in two weeks."

Hyde took a deep breath. "No."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he challenged, determined to get his vengeance on her for every damn time that name left her inconsiderate lips. "I told you. I'm on a break. Jess hates kissing me with a beard, so I never get to have one. Now I do. So, I'm not shaving 'til she comes back."

He waited, holding back his smirk of achievement as Jackie's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?"

"Mm-hm," he answered coolly, still mindful of her glare as he turned his head nonchalantly to fiddle with the material at the edge of his couch. "Yeah, 'cause she's going to be all over me the second she walks in the door. So. You know." He dared to look back at her. "I'll definitely want to shave for that."

Hyde smirked as Jackie's expression turned murderous.

Victory.

Then it rang, the phone, and they both tensed. Crap, he thought. What now?

Jackie didn't move.

"I should get that," he told her, trying to remember how many days it had been since he answered his phone. How many days since he talked to Jess.

Jackie only stared hard at him. "Steven… Leave it."

Shaking his head, he nudged her hips slightly. "Jackie, come on," he grumbled. "I have to get that."

"Fine," she conceded curtly, slipping off his lap, and refused to look at him anymore as he stood. He could see the anger and hurt bristling through her—she was so transparent—and he could feel her pulling away from him already.

The phone rang a third time. "Just… be quiet okay," he said. "It's probably Jess and she's got ears like a bat." Immediately upon the blonde's name, Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Just get it, Steven," she said, knowing that if she heard that girl's name slip from his mouth one more time, she was going to punch him in it. Watching him walk into the kitchen and lift the receiver up, she wondered what had happened in the last fifteen minutes that had him acting like a jerk again.

 _"Hello?"_ Jackie watched the corners of his mouth raised slightly into a smile. _"Hey…"_ And there it was, the burn of jealousy rushing in. Her chest was ablaze with it.

From his position in the kitchen, Hyde looked at her nervously, lowered his voice, and stepped from view.

"Oh, no you don't," Jackie whispered to herself and slipped off the couch to tip-toe her way toward his hushed conversation, stopping at the edge of his breakfast nook where she hid behind the wall to listen.

 _"I don't know… I've been busy… I know… Babe…"_ Hyde heaved a sigh, and Jackie recognized the irritation in his breath and tone of voice. _"Are you really going to start with this crap, again… No… What the hell are you calling Donna for?"_

Jackie frowned. Donna?

 _"She called you... Jess… No… Yeah, I did, but… Wait. She told you that?"_

A sharp slam jump-started Jackie's heart and all she could conclude was that he had hit something. Hard. The surreptitious brunette winced as her heart thumped even harder than before. What the hell? Donna told her what? _"_ _Nothing's_ _going on, Jess… I don't know… I didn't think it was important… No… I do miss you… What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

He was quiet for a while and Jackie started to wonder if he was still on the phone or if he was just playing his tired old game of 'Ambiguity.'

If so, it meant that maybe he hadn't changed after all. Regardless, the silence was driving her insane. But the very moment that she started to move to look, he spoke.

 _"What…"_

Jackie froze again.

 _"...I don't know what you want me to say… It wasn't a big deal… Yes… How should I know… Jess, come on… No, I haven't…"_ Hyde scoffed. _"Yeah, I am… Don't threaten me, Jessica… Really… Look, I'm telling you, you're freaking out for nothing…"_ It was then that his tone dimmed down to the level that had made Jackie jealous almost a week before. The brunette rolled her eyes. _"Jess, come on. Please don't… Hey… No, I get it… Jess… Look, I didn't tell you because… Yeah… I'm sorry, okay… Jess, just stay on the… FUCK!"_

The phone was slammed down, and Jackie scurried quickly back to the couch, a million chaotic thoughts funneling through her mind. But before she could wrangle them into one coherent thought, Hyde stormed back into the room and stopped when they met eyes.

On the couch, Jackie sat out of breath but she could feel her heart binding her lungs together, making it difficult to breath. He was just staring at her, and she couldn't tell if he was angry at her or at Jessica. Nothing could be read from his expression. He looked pissed, though, that much she could see, and stunned, and a little concerned. He was thinking about something as he watched her. Something bad.

Unable to take any more of the bitter stillness, Jackie's lips parted to say something. She wasn't sure yet what, but it really didn't matter because just as the oxygen began to leave her body, Hyde stalked past her and out his front door, slamming it shut.

Squeezing her eyes shut at the sharp sound, Jackie exhaled raggedly. "Oh, my God…"

* * *

Twenty-Six Minutes Later

1PM

Still on his couch, Jackie watched her fingers tread over the leather strap of one of the heels that sat on her lap. He still hadn't come back, and she wondered how she was going to get home. She also wondered if this meant that he was going to hate her all over again. Part of her felt nineteen again and just wanted the Hyde that whispered tender things in her ear to comfort and kiss her, to tell her it would be alright, that he would bury anyone who hurt her, including himself. But that desire terrified her. She seemed to be searching for better versions of him since the day she'd met him. Her favorite versions always disappeared too soon. And the ones she needed most always left without a goodbye.

Always.

Jackie sat back. The other part of her thought like the grown woman she had become. Life wasn't empty without him. Love wouldn't end for her. And she certainly didn't love him. Not anymore. But she had no doubt that she felt something. Jackie sighed, dropping her head back against the couch. Something deep and resurrected. It hurt at the moment, but not too bad thankfully. The longer she hung around him, though, the worse it would get. Of that much, she was certain.

To her right, the doorknob jiggled but she forced her eyes down as Hyde opened the front door and walked in, closing himself inside before he spoke. "Hey," she heard him mutter.

Graciously, Jackie chose to ignore him and feigned interest in her leather strap as he walked over and sat down beside her. Again, there was silence. But she would not look up. Nor would she speak, she decided, except maybe to ask for a ride home.

Hyde kept his eyes forward. "Look, I'm sorry I left. It wasn't you. I just had to get out of here for a minute."

Jackie remained quiet.

"You're not going to say anything?"

Nothing.

Hyde huffed in aggravation and stood up. "I don't know why you're mad. I had a fight with my girlfriend. It's my business."

"Yeah, I see your business hasn't changed much," she murmured below her breath.

Hyde heard every word, though. "What the hell is it you want from me, Jackie?"

"Excuse me?" Finally looking up, Jackie stood from the couch. "I never asked for _anything_ from you, Steven. And I don't _need_ anything from you. In fact, I have a perfectly happy life without you." Raising her eyebrows at the irritation on his face, Jackie nodded. "Yeah, that's right, Steven. I _love_ my life. I'm sorry yours is so terrible."

"What?" he asked. "If your life is so damn good then why the hell have you been nailing me for the last two weeks?"

"Who knows, Steven? Boredom," she suggested, shrugging. "Pity? And you're the one that came running to me, remember, breaking into my apartment. Obviously, you're the one with the sucky life. Not me."

"I didn't break in. You gave me a key. My life was perfect until I started messing around with you."

"Oh, really? So then why _did_ you start messing around with me, Steven? Jessica not giving you what you need between the sheets?"

Hyde chuckled in disgust. "Just to see if I could, Jackie. And guess what," he grinned smugly and leaned in close. "I can."

As always, he had laid the final blow and, never having seen it coming, she got struck.

Stunned at his own malice, Hyde watched in silent regret as her body absorbed the hit and her eyes flooded with tears. Immediately, his face lamented and, in his next breath, gravity seemed to take a stronger hold on his shoulders. Fuck. Why did he always do that? Why could he always find the exact statement that would hurt her most, that he couldn't take back, while he cowered over the things that might make her smile?

Strangely, the older he got, the quicker he regretted every cruel word that left his mouth. Yet, he still hadn't learned how to control it. And now, the look on her face was making his entire body burn with the guilt of his failures. "Jackie…" But she only ignored him, turning herself around slowly and walking out. The slam of his front door sparked a flinch and Hyde turned his breath to the ceiling. "God damn it."

Once Jackie slammed the door to his apartment shut, her whole body shook. She was so disappointed in herself for allowing him back in. No matter how much he seemed to changed, no matter how many months and years had separated them, he was still the same monster inside. But only to her it seemed. Jessica obviously had her own troubles with him, and Jackie wondered how often had Jessica's heart been broken over him, too?

Jackie looked around. She had no car. No way to get home. And only Brooke knew about her and Hyde. But how would she call her? Exhausted and nearly ready to give up, Jackie sat down on the top stairwell step near his door and looked out the rain-soaked sun window, impressed. It really was a nice place, where he lived. New and clean. Comfortable. Expensive. So unlike hers, and she wondered how fair it all was. How he always managed to scathe bad fortune. How he hurt people so much, and yet, was loved so much in return.

Tucking her legs up to her chest, she took back her selfish assessment of him. Maybe after sixteen years of being unlucky and unloved, this was his reward. His prize. A perfect life.

Behind her, the door opened, and she tried to blink her damp eyes dry. But the thought of him there relieved her. Not knowing what he would say, Jackie remained hopeful, still giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Hyde stepped past her, down two steps and turned, but she wouldn't look up. She was too angry at him to give him that satisfaction.

It was quiet, only the sound of rain. Then suddenly, without a sound, Hyde leaned down toward her and pushed his body between her legs, spreading them around him. And before Jackie could protest or say a word, Hyde had picked her up and was bringing her back inside. He was so warm. She hadn't realized how cold the hallway had been until he came. And all she did, all she could do, was hold on and tuck her face into his neck. She didn't want to go home. Not yet, at least. And not like that.

She knew now, though. They were going to be smarter this time. They were going to say goodbye the right way. Tomorrow. In five days. She wasn't sure when, but not right now…

* * *

Two Hours Later

With a cramped stretch, Jackie woke up beside Hyde, squished between his body and the back of the couch. A slight smile arrived when she looked at his sleeping eyes. He had carried her inside, lain her down, whispered that he was sorry, and then fallen asleep. She had really missed him over the years. Back in their last hours, he had been more than just her boyfriend; he had become her best friend.

With her finger, she traced the shell of his ear. He looked so good from where she lay and felt so familiar. "Pudding Pop," she whispered for the first time in five years, testing the old phrase as she gave his lips a feather-light kiss. It felt strange to say. Then, snuggling deep in against him, she tried to force her brain to back away from all these thoughts. There could be no more of this. She was beginning to feel the wrenching pain of him tugging on her heart again. And the one thing that she knew best on this earth was her tender heart. Even the tiniest of fluctuations registered. And on that scale, it was experiencing an earthquake, telling her that it still wanted him, that it still ached in his honor.

Sensing the pull of sleep, Jackie took in a deep breath and closed her eyes only to jump about a foot when someone began to bang on the front door.

"HYDE!" a voice screeched, followed by a continuous string of pounding knocks.

"Oh my God." In a flash, Jackie sat up and shoved the sleeping Hyde. "Steven!" she whispered harshly. "Get up!"

"HYDE! OPEN THE DOOR!"

Startled into consciousness by all the banging and yelling and prodding, Hyde opened his eyes and started to stretch. "Hey," he groaned smiling.

Jackie pushed him harder. "Steven! Move! Someone's at the door!"

"HYDE!"

"Who the hell is that," he sneered, finishing his stretch and frustrating the hell out Jackie until she just rolled her eyes and shoved him so hard that he tumbled off the edge of the couch and onto the floor below.

"GET UP!" she whispered louder.

"I know you're in there," the now muffled voice yelled again. "I saw your car!"

Hyde shot up from the floor, his face twisted into a panic. "It's Kelso!"

"I know," Jackie screeched quietly. "What do we do?"

"Uhh… Hide."

As Kelso's knocking and yelling continued, Jackie and Hyde scrambled to their feet, permanently stuck in the raw alarm of their situation. Standing on his couch, lost in her panic, Jackie stepped over and over again to keep her balance and threw her arms out. "Where do I hide?!"

"I don't know," he grimaced, waving her off. "My bedroom. Go! Go!" His hands and arms flailed wildly, ordering her to get the hell out of sight as her scattered form took off running for his bedroom.

Hyde watched her, waiting with his hand on the doorknob, and took a deep breath before swinging open the front door. "What?!" he shouted irritably to his annoying and shell-shocked looking friend.

Kelso pointed at him. "This is all your fault!" he charged in saying. "You did this!"

"No. No," Hyde said and swung his finger around to point outside. "You can't stay, man. You've gotta get out of here. I'm busy."

"No," Kelso refused bravely, folding his arms. "I'm not going anywhere." He pointed at his friend again. "You're gonna help me figure out how to fix this."

"Man, what the hell are you even talking about?"

Kelso stepped closer. "Two and half years ago…When I was staying with you…We brought those two chicks back to your apartment. Remember?"

Hyde made a face. "I always brought chicks back to my apartment."

"Yeah, well did you always knock 'em up, too?"

Hyde's entire heart wrung into a tight knot. "What?"

"Yeah, I just got a visit today from that Allison chick."

"Allison," Hyde repeated, the girl's image immediately jumping to the front of his mind as he gulped. She was a girl he had brought home a lot back in those days. "Why is she going to see you?"

"To tell me I knocked her friend up," Kelso cried out and started to pace.

"What?"

"WHAT?!" a female voice shouted angrily at the same time, making Hyde's eyes widen before he winced at the vision of Jackie storming out of his bedroom to shove Kelso. "You cheated on Brooke?!" She kicked him in the shin. "Idiot!"

"Ow, Jackie! I didn't mean to. We were broken up." Then he stopped, his jaw dropping at the realization that his ex-girlfriend, Hyde's EX-girlfriend, was standing in Hyde's apartment in only a t-shirt. One of Hyde's t-shirts. He looked her up and down with disgust and shock. "UH!"

"Oh my God." Jackie's eyes widened, immediately trying to find comfort in Hyde, but he only stood there with a sour expression on his face.

She turned back to Kelso. "Michael, it's not what it looks like." Kelso looked over at Hyde, finally realizing that he, too, was barely dressed, wearing merely an undershirt and boxers.

"UH!" Kelso stepped toward Hyde.

"Kelso," Hyde warned.

"UH!" he let out one final time and turned down his mouth in anger. "So… Colin goes away for a couple of weeks and you swoop right in to steal his girl. Shocker!"

"What did you just say?" Hyde said.

"Oh, God," Jackie muttered. "Here we go again."

"You heard me!" Kelso snapped at Hyde, taking another brave step forward as well. "Chick stealer!"

"Oh, I'm the chick stealer?" Hyde glowered. "You're one to talk, man. And what the hell do you care if I take Colin's chick? He's not my friend. I'll take whatever the hell I want from him!"

Kelso gasped, indignant.

"Steven!" Jackie called through tightly clenched teeth. "SHUT. UP."

But neither man was listening to her. "Yeah, well he's MY friend," Kelso retorted, "and, since he's not here, I guess _I'm_ going to have to kick your ass for him."

"Oh, cut it out, Michael," Jackie said. "You're just going to get hurt."

Narrowing his eyes at Kelso, Hyde casually stepped forward. "Really. So you're going to take his side against me, huh? Fine. Let's go."

"Steven, stop it."

"No," Hyde told her as he held his seething eyes on his friend. "Kelso's here to defend what's Colin's." Taking one final step forward, he shoved Kelso back. "Fucking traitor."

"You're the traitor," Kelso came back with as he threw his body into Hyde's, slamming him up against the front door. Quickly, Hyde wrenched his oldest friend to the side and sent them both falling to the floor where they began to wrestle.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "You two idiots are always doing this! Stop it, Michael!" she shouted, kicking him as he pinned Hyde down. "You…You…" She found Jessica's October issue of Cosmo a few feet away and began to hit her ex-boyfriend with its colorful fall-tinted pages, trying to avoid Hyde as best she could until she realized that he was actually winning.

"Ahh!" Kelso screamed when Hyde pulled his arm behind his head and twisted.

"Take it back!"

"No!"

Placing her hands on her hips, Jackie stood over her fighting exes. "Steven, you stop it right now," she scolded and began to hit Hyde with the rolled-up magazine instead. "Stop beating up Michael."

"Hey! He cheated on Brooke! Remember?" Hyde reminded her.

Puckering her brow, Jackie looked at her struggling first boyfriend, trapped in front of her grinning second boyfriend, with his arms wrenched high above his head. "That's right! You did! You…" Jackie hit Kelso with Christie Brinkley's smiling face. "Cheating jerk! How could you do that to her?!"

"Yeah, Kelso!" Hyde yanked harder on his arms. "How could you do that to Brooke?"

"Ow! Okay, Okay!" Kelso screamed. "Uncle! Uncle!"

"Take it back!"

"Fine," Kelso screeched. "I take it back. You're not a chick thief."

Hyde let go and shoved his taller friend away. And while the two old friends stood up and adjusted themselves, the room remained quiet. All three were just trying to figure out what the hell was happening.

"So, Michael," Jackie sneered and sat down, crossing her legs and her arms. "I'm going to give you five minutes to explain to me what happened before I sic Steven back on you."

With that, Hyde turned his eyes to Kelso, pissed to find that he was staring at her damn legs. His face wrought with anger, Hyde smacked the idiot hard upside his head. "Hey! She's got eyes, man."

Kelso grabbed his head. "Ahhh! God, Hyde. It's not like I haven't seen her naked before." Hyde smacked him again. "Ow! Fine!

"Jackie, go put something on," Hyde told her.

"Excuse me? No. Don't even try and get all caveman on me, Steven. You lost that right a long time ago."

"Jackie," Kelso snapped. "Will you please just put some pants on?! My eyes have a mind of their own and I can't promise that they're not gonna look! Plus, I can see your panties."

"God damn it, Kelso," Hyde hit him again. "Quit lookin'!"

"I just told you, I can't!"

Getting up, Jackie groaned. "You know what. Fine. Morons."

Patiently, both men waited for her to leave the room before Hyde sat down on the couch across from Kelso and lowered his voice. "Man, whatever you did, leave me out of it. I've got my own problems right now."

"Huh? No, I need your help. I don't know if this kid is really mine."

"And I'll help you out later…" Hyde lowered his voice even more and looked back toward his bedroom. "She's going to get all freaked out if she finds out what I was doing that night."

"Man, what do you care? And why didn't you tell me you've been doing it with Jackie?" Kelso said in sincerity. "Dude 'cause, Colin's a really cool guy. He really loves her, man."

Allowing himself to feel a small bit of guilt for the guy, Hyde sighed and sat back against the couch. "Man, it just started, okay. I didn't mean for it to happen. Just… tell me you'll omit everything _I_ was doing that night."

His eyes closing to complete the promise, Kelso nodded. "Yeah. You got it, man."

"Alright, you pervert. I'm dressed." Jackie returned wearing a pair of Hyde's boxer shorts and one of his hooded sweatshirts. She sat down next to Hyde and looked at Kelso. "You better start explaining yourself real fast."

"You better quit foolin' around with Hyde," Kelso demanded, pointing at her.

"Kelso," Hyde warned.

"Fine." Kelso sat forward and stared down at the floor. "This chick," he looked at Hyde, "Allison, she said that the girl I was with… that she found out she was pregnant a couple months after I slept with her."

"Why were you screwing some other girl anyway, Michael," Jackie interrupted. "That's what I want to know!"

"Jackie, just let him talk."

"Yeah. Just let me talk, _Jackie."_ Kelso frowned angrily. "Anyway, she said that they couldn't find us 'cause you moved right after and stopped going to that bar."

"Wait. So, when was this?" Jackie asked him.

Kelso shook his head. "I don't know… Hyde?" He shifted his querying gaze to his friend. "When was this?"

"How should I know," Hyde grumbled, daring Kelso to keep bringing him into it, but there was no use. Kelso was oblivious.

"Because you were there, man, with Allison. It was your idea to take them back to your apartment."

Jackie turned to Hyde. "What? You knew about this? You were there?"

Hyde moved his fiery eyes over to Kelso. "What did I _just_ say, man?"

"You said to admit what you were doing that night."

" _Omit!"_ Hyde growled through clenched teeth. "Omit. It means 'to leave out', you moron."

Kelso scoffed. "Why would I leave out what you did?"

"Yeah, Steven. Why would you ask him to leave out what you did?" Hyde wouldn't answer her, though, wouldn't even look at her. "You know what? That's it." The small, but pissed off, brunette stood up. "Someone is going to tell me what happened, right now, or I'm calling Brooke."

Huffing a brusque hint to his growing anger, Hyde shook his head. "You know what, Jackie. It's none of your business what _I_ was doing that night. And Kelso, Kelso hooked up with some chick. He and Brooke were broken up. That's the story, and if you don't like it, too freakin' bad."

"Oh." The brunette's eyebrows rose. "Michael. Is that your story, too?" she asked calmly, making glaring glances in Hyde's direction and cuing the doofus to be smarter than his ornery best friend. "Because if it is, then I have a phone call to make."

Hyde scoffed. "Damn it, Jackie. Brooke doesn't need to know."

"NO? She doesn't need to know that he has another kid running around out there? That he cheated on her?"

"I didn't cheat," Kelso responded, his tone pleading and scared. "She kicked me out, Jackie. I was really hurt, okay, and drunk, and Hyde was just trying to help me get my mind off of her."

"By introducing you to one of his whores?"

Hyde looked up, making his thoughts apparent. Jackie felt their sting, felt her own leftover hate. She still had it within her. In that part of her that thought he was trash. Where he had whores. And where Kelso knocking up some chick could only be his fault. That deep hatred she'd built after Sam.

"Steven…" she murmured. "I'm sorry." But, as a deafening roll of thunder cracked outside, Hyde's face hardened, his eyes glazing over with the usual armor as he looked away.

Whatever," he said, then turned to Kelso. "Hey, man. You want a beer?"

Sadly, and lost in his own torment, Kelso nodded while Hyde stood. "Yeah."

Without another glance in her direction, Hyde walked right past her. "Steven. I didn't mean…" But he just ignored her and continued on into the kitchen. Looking down at Kelso, Jackie began to feel a million new facets of regret. His chin was trembling. His eyes were tearing. And God, he seemed so scared.

Jackie knelt at his feet. "Michael, she's not going to leave you if you just talk to her and tell her before she finds out on her own."

"No. Jackie," Kelso uttered despondently. "She won't marry me if she finds out what I did. I promised her a long time ago that I would be faithful. She knows how I was. And she told me, Jackie, she told me that she'll leave me if I ever cheat. Brooke's not a liar like I am," he said right before his eyes puddled with tears. "She's such a good person."

Putting her arms around his neck, Jackie squeezed him tight. "Oh, Michael."

"I love her so much, Jackie."

"I know."

"You weren't cheating, man," Hyde said, handing Kelso his beer. "She had kicked you out for almost a month. She said you two were done. Plus, I know we were pretty smashed that night, but I could swear you asked me for a condom. It can't be yours."

As Hyde cracked open his beer, Kelso shook his head. "Man, I always wear one, too. I don't know what happened."

Jackie furrowed her brow. He did always wear one. Even with her, he had. Even after years of being together and knowing she was on the pill, he had. "Wait. So, this was what…" Glancing at Hyde, Jackie tried to understand when all this had happened. From her own memory, Kelso had been kicked out a few months before she moved in with him and Brooke. Maybe… May or June of… 1982, Jackie figured. A couple of days after Chris had… Jackie squared her sights on Hyde. "June of 1982?"

Beer in hand, Hyde shared a culpable look with Kelso and sighed. "Yeah…"

 _People are strange when you're a stranger  
Faces look ugly when you're alone…_

… _June 23, 1982…_

 _Geraldine's Pub – Kenosha, Wisconsin_

 _Women seem wicked when you're unwanted  
Streets are uneven when you're down_

 _Kelso could only recall the dizziness that had been plaguing his already disheartened mind that night. The dark bar had merely served to keep him locked in his own head and the booze was only making him miss Brooke more. And Hyde, who sat across from him, his lips glued to the blonde on his lap, was no help at all. Only the quiet girl beside him, who had just been dumped as well, was making any headway on his pain._

 _Kelso looked over._ " _You want another one," he asked her lamely, pointing at her almost empty glass._

" _No." She gave him a weak smile. "I think I've had enough."_

 _Immediately, he noticed the gloss in her green eyes. She was just as trashed as he was and if she hadn't been so pretty, the conversation, and the night, probably would've ended right there. But soon, he found himself staring at her lips. They were full and shapely, just like Brooke's, and he wanted so badly to kiss them, wanted to feel better, wanted to drown himself in pleasure. It had always worked before. But this was different. He had never felt this kind of pain before. It was so real. So physical. The mother of his child, the first woman he ever wanted to change for, didn't love him anymore._

" _Are you okay?" he heard a voice say softly._

 _Looking over, Kelso thought about her question. She seemed like you could tell her anything. There was something about her voice—soothing, bewitching. "No," he answered._

 _She nodded. "Yeah," she let out and caught his bruised heart with a downturn of her mouth, her face wincing in pain. She was about to cry._

" _Hey," he said, leaning forward with a small smile. "Please don't cry. I know something that'll make you feel better. It always makes me feel better."_

 _She pitched her eyebrows, intrigued. "What?"_

" _Well… Me and you." Kelso looked around. "I mean, we're obviously the best-looking people in the room." Immediately, she laughed. "I mean, your friend's okay, but other than that… we're it!"_

 _She looked around, returning to him with a playful look. "You're right. I do feel a little better."_

 _Kelso smiled. "See. Works every time. I'm usually the best-looking guy in the room, so I use that_ a lot _ **."**_

 _The girl smiled with mild flirtation. "Well, you are pretty cute..."_

The memory of what followed failed to come through clearly. Either he or the girl in question had made a move, kissing the other one in their dark corner of the bar that night. It really didn't matter, though, who started it. He had reciprocated enthusiastically. And her mouth and tongue had felt so good, so comforting, that when Hyde suggested they leave, he didn't waver or argue…

 _Allison leaned down to give a drunken Hyde a bite on his lip. "I'll be right back; then we can go."_

 _Hyde's eyebrow arched at her willful tone. "Yeah. Hurry up."_

 _Both girls had left for the restrooms, leaving Kelso and Hyde to themselves for a few minutes. Kelso remained silent, though, knowing that as long as he didn't ask Hyde what he should do, Hyde would never say a word, never guilt him. Silence was key. Don't discuss it and it didn't happen. That was the way their friendship worked._

 _Closing his bloodshot eyes, Hyde took a swig of his beer and leaned his head back on the chair. "Can you believe her, man?" Kelso didn't answer. Didn't know what the hell Hyde was talking about and didn't care. "Bitch," he continued. "I was right there, man. I protected her. And it's not enough. It was never enough for her. Nothing I did ever was."_

 _Kelso was in no mood. "What… the hell are you talking about, man?"_

" _Jackie."_

" _Jackie?" Kelso sneered. "Man, Hyde. You're cut off. You just said Jackie."_

 _Hyde shook his head from its position. "I should've just left, man. But…" He lifted his head slightly and took another awkward gulp of his beer before dropping it back down. "I didn't."_

 _Kelso looked around for the two girls. "Yeah, OK, Hyde."_

" _She said she doesn't love me anymore."_

 _Kelso frowned, still confused. "Who?"_

 _Irate, Hyde raised his head. "Freaking Jackie, man! Hey, what's all over your face?"_

 _At the thought of something on his face, his last real asset, Kelso panicked. "What? Where?"_

 _Narrowing even more his nearly closed eyes, Hyde leaned forward. "It's lipstick or that gloss crap they put on their lips."_

" _Yeah," Kelso dragged his finger over his mouth. "She tastes like watermelon."_

 _Hyde grinned. "Cool…"_

Kelso looked from left to right at Jackie, then Hyde, and then Jackie again. They were both grimacing at him. "What?"

"Man, that was surprisingly accurate," Hyde admitted. "I was expecting a Jackie-esque fantasy where chicks were falling all over you and I was in hot pants, dancing to ABBA."

At that, Kelso gestured arrogantly. "You know, people think I'm dumb." He pointed to his head, "But I've got a memory like a giraffe."

"You mean like an elephant," Jackie corrected.

Her lanky ex grimaced. "Uhh… Why would I want a memory like an elephant, Jackie? They're fat and _grey_." He scoffed at her. "Giraffes are tall and can climb trees. Hello."

Hyde grinned at Jackie. "There it is."

Jackie wasn't smiling, though. She was only staring at him. "So, you really said all that?"

His smile fading, Hyde rolled his eyes away. The moment Kelso had recalled that part of the night, Hyde just knew that Jackie would latch onto it. "I was drunk, Jackie. I do and say a lot of crap when I'm drunk." He took a swig of his beer.

"Yeah, me too," she retorted, causing his eyes to fall back on her. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Hyde."

Hyde shook his head at her and shifted his attention back to Kelso. "So, what the hell are you going to do, man?"

"No. No," Jackie cut in before Kelso could answer. "I still want to know what happened after that. You two idiots brought two sluts back to your apartment, and…" She looked pointedly at Hyde.

"What do you think? Uh, let's see, we brought our sluts back to my place, played Pictionary, made ice cream sundaes, and talked about our feelings."

Kelso started to laugh but stopped as Jackie glared at him in disgust.

Hyde flipped his eyes up. "Christ."

"Ugh," Jackie sneered. "I can't believe I slept with you. Did you even use condoms?" She stood up and began to pace, her fingers combing up into her hair. "Oh my God. And I let you come inside me."

"Whoa!" Kelso cried out and stood from his chair as if it was covered in the bubonic plague. "That's something I don't need to know about."

"Did you use condoms?" Jackie asked, turning suspiciously to Hyde. "How many girls have you slept with since me?"

"Don't answer that," Kelso instructed Hyde. "I learned that one the hard way."

With that bit of advice, Hyde stood up to face his incensed ex-girlfriend. "Don't worry. I'm _not_ going to answer that. And do you know why, Jackie? Because it's none of your business. We weren't together."

"It became my business, Steven, the minute we slept together."

Kelso groaned. "Can we please stop talking about that?"

Hyde stayed on Jackie. "I used condoms. Every time."

"You don't use them with me," she reminded him.

"So?"

Jackie folded her arms. "Well, why don't you?"

"I don't know. Because it's you. And you're on the pill."

"Do you use 'em with Jessica?"

Hyde sighed, unsure if he wanted to answer that. "No," he eventually said, knowing exactly her motive in asking—she wanted to know how important Jessica was to him. How close they were. "I don't use them with her either. Do you use them with Colin?"

"What the hell is happening right now?" Kelso asked.

"Shut up," Jackie and Hyde both said, then Jackie took a deep breath. "No, I don't."

"That's what I thought," Hyde said. "And I don't have an STD, Jackie. How do I know that _you_ don't have one?"

"Because I _don't,_ Steven. And there's a big difference here between me and you. You're…"

"I'm what? A whore chaser? Poor, white trash? What were you going to say, Jackie?"

Jackie swallowed down her words. "I wasn't going to say any of that," she fibbed.

"You've said it a million times," Kelso interjected as he sat back and drank his beer.

Jackie stomped her foot. "Michael!" She was going to kill him.

Hyde smirked, pleased with the return of Kelso's loyalty. "Thank you, Kelso."

"No problem, man."

"Well, you were," Jackie said, deciding just to admit to how she truly felt about his past behavior. "A whore-chaser. You acted like complete trash for years, Steven."

At that, Hyde folded his arms and scowled at her.

"And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about either," she continued. "You married a stripper, Steven, who you had very loud, _tacky_ sex with, might I add. A real woman finds ways to keep quiet when other people are in the house. But not your whore, Steven. Nope. She screamed like someone had just yelled 'action'! Oh. And then you grew that hideous mustache, which was perfect for your porn star quality wife. It made you look like you walked straight out of the trailer park. And through it all, you treated _me_ like dirt. For no reason. Like I was the trash. And you were _always_ drunk. Then, oh then, you whored around Point Place just to…"

"It wasn't for no reason," Hyde yelled back suddenly.

"What?"

"You heard me," Hyde said. "I _hated_ you."

Jackie's eyes widened. "You had _no_ reason to hate me."

"I had every reason to hate you, Jackie. You fucked my best friend."

Jackie gasped. "We did not have sex!"

"You were going to," he yelled back. "In your little see-through nightie. I was there."

"It was not see-through!"

They both turned to Kelso, who threw his hands up. "Hey, don't bring _me_ into this."

"You're coming into this or I'm kicking your ass," Hyde told him and glared at Jackie. "We're going to finally get to the bottom of this."

"Steven! I already told you…"

Hyde turned to Kelso. "Repeat what you told me about that night."

"Michael," Jackie said quizzically, unable to believe that he would tell Hyde what she made him promise not to.

Kelso's face fell. "I'm sorry, Jackie."

Hyde smirked at Jackie. "See. Liar. I knew. I knew this whole time. You were a cheating bitch."

Kelso looked up. "Hyde. That's not cool, man."

"Shut up, Kelso," Hyde muttered as his loathing gaze settled on Jackie. "You acted so innocent but you were the whore first, Jackie. Not me."

Jackie wasn't sure how long they stared at each other, how long the tears had been rolling down her cheeks or how long it had been since she hadn't felt that sting of betrayal from someone she loved. Turning her eyes to Kelso, who actually did look remorseful, Jackie just shook her head in disbelief.

"He wanted to know, Jackie," Kelso tried to reason. "He's my best friend. What did you expect me to do? I didn't think he'd get so pissed over a kiss."

"Well, I did," Hyde said.

Jackie shifted her vision back over to Hyde. His features had softened, but not that much. And the room, it was starting to feel cramped, so small and dark as all the bad memories and hate dusted up around them. She had to get out of there and immediately headed for the door.

"If you leave, I'm not going after you this time, Jackie," Hyde called out behind her. But she left anyway, slamming the door shut behind her. "Crap."

Kelso frowned at him. "Why'd you go and do that for, man?" He shook his head. "You know, I never understood you when it came to her."

"She makes me want to hang myself," Hyde responded, willing himself to be angrier at her then he really was. "That chick drives me nuts."

"Uh-huh. So, you're really just going to let her go out in the cold in boxers and a sweatshirt?" Kelso got up and headed for the bathroom. "She's barefoot, man."

Hyde took a deep breath. "Damn it…"

* * *

A Couple of Minutes Later

It was still raining out. It was always fucking raining these days, Hyde noted as he stepped outside and squinted through the haze and fog. She was nowhere.

"Jackie."

Crap. Which way did she go? Left or Right? This question seemed to be their chief problem. It always worked out the same way. She would go left as he would go right, or vice-versa, the two of them never moving in the same direction. But he would find her eventually. She could never stray too far.

"Jackie!"

Screw it. Left, he decided and stepped out into the rain, jogging through the parking lot, soaking his fresh change of clothes and finding her quickly, sitting beneath a bus stop cubicle. "Jackie."

She looked up. "Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

Hyde sighed. "Because it didn't matter anymore."

"It mattered to _me_ ," she yelled through her tears and the light rustling of the sky falling around them. "I loved you! And you hated me, and I didn't know why!"

Part of him wanted to scream at her. How could she _not_ know that she had broken his goddamn heart? That she had destroyed him. And now she wanted to know why he hated her? Hyde stared at her incredulously as she waited.

"Why?" she repeated with more force. "Why did you hate me _so_ much, Steven?"

"Why do you think, Jackie?"

"I don't know, Steven. I really don't. The last thing I knew, you were saying—"

"Because you left me," he shouted at her, quickly pulling himself back again. That was all she was getting. Standing there, his face hardened, his body even more rigid, praying that she stayed where she sat. Those old feelings of abhorrence were quickly rekindling and billowing up inside of him.

"Oh, my God." Jackie slowly stood, lips parted in amazement as her mind churned with the new information, a hundred painful memories now reinterpreting themselves and coming into focus. Eyes locked firmly on his, Jackie moved her body closer to him. "I'm so sorry, Steven," she whispered earnestly, realizing that before Brooke's party, before Sam, before Las Vegas, she had left him. She had abandoned him, just like all the others in his life had. Worse, she ran to Kelso, his only insecurity when it came to her. "I'm sorry I left you alone." His face wasn't changing, though. It was stern with his obstinacy, and she knew he wasn't fully hearing her. "It didn't mean I didn't love you… God, Steven, I loved you so much. I just needed to know you loved me too."

Hyde sighed. "Jackie, it's fine. None of that matters anymore."

She stepped closer and, instantly, adrenaline began to surge though him. "It matters to me," she said. His eyes closed and opened again at the gentle sound. She looked so tired. And tired, himself, from arguing, Hyde stepped around her to sit down on the bench. He needed to think.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jackie moved, and a quick glance confirmed that she was coming to sit beside him. Together, they waited quietly. The one thing about rain, it was distracting, and made all silences comfortable, even theirs.

"I didn't _hate_ you," he eventually said to the wet pavement. "Not really. I was just pissed off." He looked over at Jackie. "Really, really pissed off."

Jackie raised her head to make eye contact, her lips curling up into a small smile. "Because you still loved me?"

Hyde's face softened as he shook his head and looked away, a small smile betraying his facade. "Why do you do that?"

"Because, Steven, for a long time I still loved you. Even after Sam. And it hurt. And it would make me feel a whole lot better to know that you were just as miserable." She rolled her eyes away. "Even though I don't think you were."

"I was miserable," he muttered and looked back over at her tenaciously. "You happy now?"

A smile crept over her face, but she chose not to look at him. It felt more empowering not to, especially knowing that he was watching her. "A little." She could tell, though, that he was smiling, too, as he looked away. And happiness filled her. Her heart, in the meantime, was swelling with something good. Maybe it was forgiveness or maybe it was the return of his friendship, the one she had lost in all the resentment and hurt. Whatever it was, it felt incredible as it coursed through her body.

"I'm really sorry, Jackie," she heard come softly from beside her. She turned her head to find his blue eyes. "About everything that happened," He looked down, "About her."

At that, her head fell a tiny bit, too, as she fought past the sting in her nose and blinked back the urge to cry. She didn't want to. She wasn't sad. She was relieved, and with relief brought that impulse to purge all the old pain that usually embittered her mind. But she wouldn't cry. "I'm sorry, too," she offered. "About him."

Hyde nodded and looked in her direction, his eyes darting everywhere, occasionally falling on her. "Cool."

Jackie laughed and bit back her bottom lip. With a giddy, playful smile on her face, she scooted closer to him.

Looking down, Hyde grinned.

It encouraged her to scoot even closer, stopping when their hips met. She grabbed his hand and swung it over her own shoulder. He held it there, drawing her closer as she pulled her knees to her chest and turned toward him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Cool," she murmured…

* * *

One Hour Later

Memories. How they always came falling in flurries when she looked at him; like a blanket of snowflakes: different but many. There was an endless sum, so many that each step he took kicked up more and more until she was surrounded, lost in an evocative cloud of his remarks and smiles, his looks and kisses.

Five years.

That's how long it had been.

Too long, Jackie reminded herself the moment he ambled happily back into the living room with a tub full of jiffy pop and two tall glasses of root beer. She had known this boy nearly her whole life and, in the last five years, never believed that they would make another good memory together. She had believed instead that they had left each other far behind in the turmoil of childhood. She had believed that she had lost her friend forever.

Grateful to be wrong, Jackie smiled when he sat down beside her and gave her a kiss before settling back to watch their movie. Leaning her cheek against the ridge of his shoulder, Jackie closed her eyes and decided to just watch the dust fly…


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Four Days**

 **Music:**

Tangerine by Led Zeppelin

* * *

 _September 3, 1983_

 _Labor Day Weekend_

 _Southport Park Beach, Lake Michigan_

 _It was midday, and Jackie's eyes winced behind the tinted veil of her sunglasses, her toes digging into the warm sand as the harsh, late summer sun beat down on her back._

 _Covertly peering just millimeters above her elbow, Jackie watched them carefully. He was about nine or ten feet away, sitting below the shade of the beach umbrella he had purchased hours before, and she was on his lap, placing feather-light kisses around his drowsy, sunglass-free eyes. Usually Jackie just ignored his 'friends,' since no one ever saw them more than once, but he had never brought one on a trip. Not before this girl, who Jackie had seen in passing three times this month._

 _And he was different with her. That's what struck Jackie most. He was enamored, his attention locked on the adoring face that now smiled brightly at him._

 _From behind her wayfarers, Jackie watched him smile back and kiss his new girlfriend's lips so affectionately that her mind clouded over with a sadness long forgotten._

 _It was one thing to accept that he was giving his body away like a consolation prize… If she remembered correctly, it had taken her some time, but that pain had been the first to subside. His softness had been the second to go and she had found comfort in the assumption that she would be the last to ever feel it._

 _But here it shone, smiling softly and cupping the cheeks of the glowing strawberry-blonde who appeared even more enamored than he._

 _Jackie realized right then that it was another thing entirely to know to watch him give his heart away. Almost four years later, this would be the final pain to leave her._

 _Suddenly interested, Jackie shifted her attention to the girl. She was pretty by her standards, which were impossibly high. She certainly wasn't trashy like the rest, and her hair was an interesting color, healthy, and a little past her shoulders in loose curls. Her body was thin like her own, only a little taller and with bigger breasts._

 _Jackie rolled her eyes. It figured. God. She wanted so badly to hate this girl but she hadn't yet found her perfect reason to. And as she watched the two of them fall into a deep kiss, a chill arrived._

 _Clenching her eyes shut, Jackie forced Colin's image into her mind. She had to stop with this. She had to stop watching them. She had to think of Colin. And then, Jackie smiled. Okay. There he was._

 _Re-opening her eyes, Jackie was relieved to find that their kiss was finally winding down with little bites and whispers. Without much choice in the matter, she just rode out the pain, heartbroken and yet contented, breathing in and out until it eased and disappeared into the wind._

 _Heartbroken because he had to fall in love again someday, and it looked like today was that day. And if not, it would be soon._

 _Contented because, from where she lay, he looked happy, and satisfied, and finally at peace. He even appeared physically healthier. For the love of God, Steven Hyde's cheeks were flushed. Jackie stared shamelessly as Jessica whispered something against his lips and made him smile, that drowsy bedroom smile that she hadn't seen since their final hours—hours she wished she had given more of her attention—the night they had exchanged an 'I love you' for the first and final time._

 _And by the looks of the girl on his lap, he would be loved again. Jackie knew because as this girl gave him a parting kiss and laid her head on his shoulder, her brown eyes came into view. She was lost in him. She was flying high, and Jackie could only feel sympathy for her. He would break her heart one day. He would crawl inside her and take her so high, only to leave and send her crashing back to the cruel earth. It'll kill her, and she'll cry until there are no more tears left, until her head is pounding from the dehydration and heartbreak. But she'll get through it, Jackie thought. Someday._

 _Finally, Jackie watched her kiss his shoulder, her eyes squeezing shut as Hyde returned the gesture with a light squeeze. He grinned down, kissing her forehead as he whispered something that made her laugh. And with a sense of approval, Jackie let her last pain go. Maybe this girl would make him happy, or make him a better man. Maybe she would love him so much that all of his insecurities would finally vanish. It was obvious, by the fulfilled expression on his face, that he needed it, whether he knew it or not._

 _So, accepting that truth, Jackie looked into brown eyes, wished the girl luck, and turned her head._

" _Hey, Brooke," she whispered._

 _Half asleep in the sand, Brooke opened her eyes. "Huh?"_

 _Jackie smiled persuasively. "Come strut with me. I need a boost."_

 _To Jackie's surprise, the first thing Brooke did was glance behind her head at the new couple and then back at her again. "Okay. But no autographs this time," she pointed. "I don't want to leave Michael and the kids for too long."_

 _Jackie rolled her eyes and pushed herself up onto her knees. "Fine." While she got up and brushed herself off, she made another quick glance in Hyde's direction and caught his eyes. He had looked at her, made a brief, instinctual sweep over her body, and then turned away._

 _Subtly, Jackie smiled. Her first ogle. She felt better already. "Come on, Brooke." They both stood and posed, a giggle setting the mood as they took off down the beach, leaving Hyde behind, yet again, in another woman's arms, until the next time…_

 **Monday, November 12, 1984**

 **4:37 PM**

 **Hyde's Bedroom**

There was one universal rule that every woman to ever love a man learned to live by. Jackie smiled. Well, the beautiful ones anyway.

 _If you could snag him, he was yours._

The old adage was as true as ever; all _was_ fair in love and war. Whoever won him, won. And there was no prize for the loser, only anguish and heartache.

Breaking this cardinal rule, Jackie looked back down at the little photo-strip square between her fingers and puckered her chin. She had no intention of stealing Hyde away from Jessica. And she wasn't meaning to hurt her. The girl, one year her junior, had always been so nice. They had even been to mall together once with Donna, and who couldn't like a girl who sneered at the redhead's atrocious purchase habits?

Despondently, Jackie sighed and made a silent apology to Jessica, and to Colin, and to everyone who was being forced to lie for her and Hyde, because just beyond the highs, there sat the lows of their guilt, tearing a hole in her heart. Pushing aside the images of the two people that she and Hyde were hurting had kept their little bubble from bursting, but neither had been forgotten.

"What are you doing," she heard Hyde ask and looked up. His eyes were on the photo in her hand.

"Oh." She slipped it back into the clear pocket of his wallet. "I'm… I was just looking for a couple dollars to tip the pizza guy and…" She looked back up and winced. "Are you mad?"

"No," he said quietly and sat down on the bed, scooting in beside her. Taking his wallet from her hand, he opened it up and took his own look at the picture inside, then snapped the wallet shut, swiftly shoving it into his back pocket. With slightly troubled eyes, he turned to Jackie.

"I'm sorry, Steven," she uttered, her shoulders rising. "I just…" Sucking in her bottom lip, Jackie tried to articulate what she was feeling, but, God, it was so hard with him looking at her that way. Instead, saline stung her eyes and forced her response. "I feel so guilty, Steven. Don't you?" Through an expression that told her he did, Hyde only blinked. "I'm a horrible person," she added dolefully, thinking of all the dirty things they had done in the last two weeks, drawn together like two magnets, two dirty, dirty magnets." I'm a…" Her respirations were hastening. "I'm a whore."

"Hey. Hey." Hyde reached out and pulled her onto his lap. "C'mere. You're far from a whore," he asserted as she hugged his waist and snuggled her head into his neck. "Okay?"

Sniffling, Jackie rubbed her cheek on his shirt, drying her only tear on the cheap material, and settled back into him. "I guess."

Realizing that this was his shot, Hyde paused to swallow and figure out how he was going to voice the decision that he had made during his shower. He was prepared to ask her to leave Colin, and tell her that he would leave Jessica, but he needed something from her, anything, a nudge, a hint, a glimpse of that lovesick girl who used to ogle him with complete adoration, to give him that push that he needed to feel brave. "Yeah. So," he started in a deep tone and cleared his throat, "I was just wondering what's going to happen on Friday."

Slowly, Jackie sat up and furrowed her brow. "Oh," was all she initially had to say as she looked between them in her contemplation. It was a merely a moment, but the wait seemed so long to him. Finally, she parted her lips. "I don't know. I guess we just…make sure to stay away from each other. Right? To be safe."

It wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear so he waited, silently prodding her to continue. She could never shut her mouth for more than a few seconds at a time and, right now, he was grateful for that particular quirk of hers.

Shaking her head, Jackie shrugged. "I mean, I can't even imagine being in the same room with you and him. It'll be too hard."

His confidence fading, he watched as she gazed behind him and freed the varied thoughts that seemed to plague her.

"At least we live far away from each other. And we rarely see each other…" Her eyebrow slowly rose as she stared in to a place that apparently held all the things worrying her mind. "I think he's going to ask me to marry him soon. He keeps hinting." Jackie smiled, but it fell so fast and she looked up, whispering, "He can't find out, Steven."

"He won't." Hyde felt so devoid of air. But things seemed a little clearer, a little more final, at least until she leaned forward and touched her lips to his. Her kiss felt like torture suddenly. Like those drunk nights when he would think about her, and crave the intimacy of a close lover. He had it now in Jess, and he had to remind himself of that. Jackie didn't want him that way. As usual, he was her second choice. Her second everything.

Hyde gave her a peck and sat back. "You still want to go?"

"Uh-huh," she smiled sweetly. "I'm ready."

Reaching out his hand, Hyde helped her off the bed. "C'mon. We should leave now if we're going to make visiting hours…"

* * *

 **Twenty Minutes Later**

 **Kenosha, Wisconsin**

 **The Parking Lot of the Red Cantina Restaurant**

His mood low, Hyde stepped out of his car and closed the door, leaning against the side as he gathered his thoughts. Around him the air was cool, but much milder than it had been all month. The rain, like his mind, had taken a temporary respite. The setting sun glowed in bright hues of orange and red, and Jackie, who was walking around the car to meet him, was in love with someone else.

He had spent the last couple of hours at her place and done some Jackie-inspired snooping as she made a final trip to the restroom. Pictures of Colin littered the small studio apartment, a stack of his mail sat on the counter, and some of his clothes hung neatly in her closet. His suits had been cleaned and pressed. She took care of them. He could tell. She probably made lunch for him, and fussed over him, smothering the living shit out of him because she loved him so much.

He had missed that.

The slightest of smirks stretched across his lips, though, as his eyebrow shot up in amusement. It figured. It figured she would be in fucking love. She always was. But what could he do? He had had his chance and blown it, and, as Jackie sauntered into view, Hyde shifted his eyes left and widened his grin at her. By the grace of Zeppelin, though, he had four days to relive the old days and then he would let her go.

And with all the strength her 95lb frame could probably muster, Jackie grabbed his shirt and yanked his body against hers. "What are you smiling about," she said, giving him a playful smooch. "Huh?"

"You," he murmured against her lips.

Her reaction was exactly what he had been seeking, lips forming an 'O' as she touched the tips of her fingers to her heart and gazed at him as if he were the most thoughtful man in the entire world.

"Oh, Steven," she cooed, her bottom lip extending into a pout. Man, she really was beautiful.

Rising onto her tip-toes, Jackie rewarded him with a gentle, lingering peck to his lips and, in silence; he watched as her attention shifted down to his chest, where she fastened one of the buttons on his shirt and smoothed her hand over his lapel.

"There. Much better than that ratty sweatshirt you were going to wear," she delicately sneered. "Or, God, one of those ugly vests."

Hyde frowned. "What's wrong with my vests?"

Jackie cocked her eyebrows at him. "Nothing, if you're a hunter or about to assassinate the president."

Hyde smirked. Damn, even as she mildly burned him, her eyebrows pinched now into a tiny scowl, his heart prickled inside his chest. It was sick, but he actually liked her insolence and penchant for meanness. He found it refreshing and amusing and disturbingly hot.

Hyde's esteem shone in his smile as he slid his fingers into her hair and whispered to her. "C'mere." His smile faded into a deep kiss, as did the world around him when her tongue found his and began to play, allowing him the taste of its sweet underbelly for a brief moment. "Why the hell are we even here? Let's just go back and order that pizza."

"No, Steven," she said, leaning back and avoiding his lips. "You promised me a nice dinner. Now come on. Keep your promise."

Hyde sighed. "This is why I don't make promises."

"And that is why I don't put out until after my date buys me dinner," Jackie volleyed back as they made their way toward the entrance.

Hyde scoffed, smirking and thinking of the performance she had given him against her kitchen counter only hours before. "Well, too late for that…"

* * *

Sixteen Minutes Later

Jackie wiggled in her seat and smiled as they waited for their food. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

Hyde shrugged. "I don't know. What do _you_ want to talk about?"

"Well… Tell me about, I don't know, what you did last summer." She was forcing a smile, wanting him to talk more, to say something. He knew he was being quiet, but what was there to say? The more they talked, the more they touched, the deeper inside she slid.

Sighing, Hyde cleared his throat. "I, uh… Not much. Oh, Jess and…" Crap. Hyde stopped and licked his lips. "I went to Florida for a week."

"Oh," Jackie responded awkwardly, but quickly put on a smile. "How was it?"

Hyde nodded. "Hot."

"So… Jessica went with you?"

"Yeah." Hyde shifted in his seat. Damn. This was the last thing he wanted to talk about. It wasn't going to lead anywhere civil or keep the peace that they had enjoyed all day. Unfortunately, though, inside all the calm, guilt brewed frustration. "It was, uh, something with her dad. This work thing. He's…" Hyde stopped. "You know what, it doesn't matter."

"No, I want to know. Like," Trailing off before she even got started, Jackie fidgeted with her silverware. "How did you meet her anyway? I don't think anyone ever told me."

"It's not important how I met her," Hyde replied, sitting back in his seat. "Can we talk about something else?"

He watched as her expression retreated back into that harmless scowl that typically only served to announce the pout that would soon follow. "Well, I want to know."

Hyde sighed loudly. "Why? I don't want to know how you met Colin."

"Why not?" Jackie's scowl deepened.

"Because I just don't, okay. I don't give a crap how you met him."

"Fine." Jackie pushed her silverware away. "I just wanted to have something to talk about. You don't have to be a jerk about it." Saving them both, the waitress walked up with a large, round tray full of food.

"Are your drink's okay?" the woman asked. "You need a fill up?"

"No, we're good," Jackie answered as his eyes glazed over and fell onto a glass pepper shaker. The thing was, how he met Jessica was none of Jackie's business. It wasn't as if she ever gave a crap before. His life, and the people in it, had stopped mattering to her long before he met Jessica. Plus, if she had been paying attention to anything other than Colin that summer, she would've never had to ask…

 _August 4, 1983_

 _Meers Steakhouse_

 _Madison, Wisconsin_

 _That summer evening had been a typically warm one. The sun continued to light the fading blue sky, even though it was nearly eight o'clock, and all the girls were walking around in their tiny summer clothes. It was one of those casual summer nights in Wisconsin that were meant to end with someone in jail, if all went well. Donna had finally let Eric out of the house, and Hyde, along with Kelso and Fez, had decided to take him out. And the bars around his college, simply by their reputations, had been deemed more than worthy of the night's planned shenanigans._

 _But first, they had to eat…_

" _So, Fez," Eric chimed in, "You're driving us home tonight, right?"_

" _Uh, no," Kelso answered for him, slipping an arm around his foreign friend. "Fezzie here is getting nice and shit-faced tonight. Someone's gotta wear the dress." He raised one of Brooke's sundresses above the table line. "And it ain't going to be me or Hyde. I can tell you that right now."_

 _Hyde nodded._

" _Yeah, and I already tried it on," Fez smiled proudly. "Fits like a sexy glove."_

" _What can I get you guys to drink?" a female voice cut in. All four men turned eyes to the waitress and, almost immediately, Hyde's mouth fell open dumbly. She was hot. Leagues hotter than the chicks he'd been hanging around with back in Point Place. He glanced across the table at Kelso, who bounced his eyebrows in silent approval. In agreement, Hyde grinned and looked back up to his right where she stood and took everyone else's order._

 _He was the last on her journey around the table._

" _And what would you like?"_

" _How about…" Hyde glossed over the menu. "Your phone number."_

 _The girl only flipped her eyes up in annoyance. "What would you like_ to drink _?" she clarified, obviously irritated with the poorly thought out come on._

 _Realizing his mistake, Hyde's smile fell. "A Coke."_

" _I'll be back with your drink orders." Immediately, she walked away and Hyde turned to his friends, rejected._

 _Kelso snorted out a laugh. "Burn."_

 _Naturally, they were all laughing and pointing at him and the only thing Hyde could do in response was nod. "Yeah, alright. Laugh it up. You won't be laughing, though, when I get her number."_

 _Shaking his head, Fez smiled knowingly. "Oh, my snubbed friend. Welcome to Fez's world._ _There's no way you_ _," he pointed at Hyde, "are not getting" he pointed at the waitress, "_ _her_ _number."_

" _Just watch and learn, little buddy."_

" _Yeah, man," Eric smiled beside him. "Come on. She's sober and has all her teeth. You don't stand a chance." Kelso and Fez bowled over in their laughter._

 _Hyde smiled and nodded some more. "Hilarious, Forman. But I can get that chick. Easy."_

" _Man, you have no clue," Eric told him, pointing at their oblivious waitress as she passed by. "That girl goes to UW."_

 _Sneering, Hyde scoffed at the information. "So? And how do you know anyway?"_

" _I had her in one of my classes, man. She doesn't date guys like us."_

" _So, what are you saying? You don't think I can get her?"_

" _Oh, I know you can't get her," Eric chuckled._

" _Oh!" Kelso rang out to Hyde. "You're going to take that, man?"_

 _Pitching his eyebrow, Hyde flashed a challenging look at his best friend. He had gotten plenty of unattainable chicks that thought they were better than him. Those ones always liked him the best. "I can get her if I want her, Forman."_

 _Eric tossed up his hands. "Whatever you say, man."_

 _From his seat, Hyde scanned the restaurant. Finding the little blond, he watched her for a moment. Oh yeah, he could get her. "Alright," he turned back to Eric. "How about this? I get her number, you have to stay sober and drive. I don't get it, then I drive." With that, he grinned._

 _And without even an ounce of hesitation, Eric nodded curtly and shook his hand. "Oh, that's a deal."_

 _Within a few minutes, four glasses were being set down in front of them by the indifferent waitress in question. "Have you guys decided on your order?"_

 _Eric grinned mischievously at Hyde. "I think…Yeah, I think my friend Steven here knows what he wants. Steven? Why don't you tell this nice lady what you want?"_

" _Yeah, we're not ready yet," was all Hyde managed to tell her._

" _I'll come back in a few minutes then." Following a terse smile, she walked away and Hyde jumped up, pointing at Eric. "Watch this!" He took off briskly behind her and cut her off before she could reach the kitchen door. "Hey," he said, smiling wide._

" _Can I help you?" she asked him, making a quick glance back at his table, where Eric, Kelso, and Fez all waved at her, goofy smiles on their faces. "Is there something wrong with your drinks?"_

 _She looked concerned, so he shook his head._ " _No. No, I just… Uh, I wanted to say sorry about before, when I asked for your number. It was a stupid thing to say."_

 _Her expression went unchanged._

 _Crap. Things were getting awkward, fast. "I'm Hyde…by the way."_

 _She nodded warily. "Hyde…But your friend just called you Steven."_

" _Oh. Yeah. Uh… Steven's my first name. Hyde's," Shit, she wasn't smiling, "…my last."_

" _Oh…Hm. I like Steven much better," she said and stepped around him._

 _Frustrated already, Hyde rolled his eyes. Damn it. "Hey," he followed, moving alongside her as she made her way closer to the kitchen. "I really do want your number."_

" _Look, Steven. You seem really nice. But I don't appreciate being hit on when I'm trying to do my job. Okay? I'm not trying to be mean. I just…No," she answered, her feature wincing in apology. "You can't have my number. Sorry."_

 _Hyde stood still as he watched her walk away again. "Damn it," he breathed out. What the hell was wrong with this chick? He looked down, suddenly wondering if maybe something was wrong with him. Maybe he was losing his touch. Girls never turned him down. They chased him, not the other way around._

 _He returned to his seat with a glum look, trying to ignore his friends' smug grins. "I just need some more time…"_

 _One Hour Later_

 _During their meal, Hyde watched the waitress move back and forth, never able to find a good moment to catch her without coming off like a lunatic. The more the evening went on, the more it became about her and not the bet. He wasn't going to let the morons know that, though. But she had him intrigued. She was hot, yeah, but more than that, she was disinterested, and it was driving him crazy. Why wasn't she interested?_

 _Folding his arms, Hyde pushed down a scowl after she walked past him again without a single glance in his direction._

 _Kelso sat back and groaned. "Man, I'm full. You guys ready to hit the road or what?"_

" _Sure am," Eric taunted, dropping his keys in front of Hyde. "There you go, man. Watch the clutch. It sticks."_

 _Hyde grimaced. "We haven't left, yet, Forman."_

" _Well you better hurry up, man, 'cause as soon as Fez gets back from the bathroom, we're headin' out."_

" _Yeah, I've got a dress to get on Fez, man," Kelso explained, gesticulating with his hand. "So, let's move this along."_

" _Fine. Crap," Hyde stood up and started to search for his enigmatic target. Finding her in conversation with a co-worker, he felt like he was going to be sick. Why the hell did she make him so nervous?_

 _She's just a chick. She's just a chick. She's just a chick._

 _Hyde stepped up to her. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"_

 _Visibly exasperated, the blonde sighed as her friend rolled her eyes and walked away, but remained quiet. "Look. I'm sorry," he began, "about before. I know you think I'm just some dirt bag customer hitting on you, but I'm really pretty normal…mostly. I just want to take you out. Somewhere nice. Just once. That's it."_

 _At that, her shoulders fell. "Look…Steven," Hyde had to keep from making a face at the sound of his first name. Only Jackie ever chose to use 'Steven', and this girl was already proving to be a similar pain in the ass by following in the brunette's tenacious footsteps. "You're cute," she said, "and your friends are really funny, but I'm just not interested. Okay? I'm really sorry."_

" _No. Don't be. It's cool." There was a fresh sting of rejection as she, once again, walked away._

 _Man, Fez's world sucked…_

 _Three Days Later_

 _It was a Monday night, and Hyde was alone. As usual. And as he sat quietly, one indolent finger made small circles on the mahogany surface of the bar, rubbing in the small drops of condensation that had fallen from his whiskey glass._

 _In the middle of all the noise, hidden inside the crowd, Hyde closed his eyes. Something was going on with him lately. He was tired. And it was hard for him to admit it to himself, but he was lonely. Everyone had someone but him, and watching_ her _be so damned happy with her new boyfriend was still bugging him._

 _He just wanted to be there again, somewhere clean and warm, with someone soft, someplace quiet, where a female voice whispered words of love to him, words that were real, words that stayed past the next sunrise._

" _Hey," he heard somewhere near his right ear and turned toward the sound. "Steven, right?" Her features were a little softer tonight, and a large round tray was tucked between her arm and torso. She was even better than he remembered._

" _Yeah," was all he said, his pride buried far beneath the sulk of his shoulders. Because the thing was, he had come back here for her. He hadn't been able to shake her loose from his thoughts. This girl who seemed to see nothing in him. Which made her the most honest girl he'd met in years._

 _But now, he was rethinking his decision to come. She was probably going to call the damn cops on him for stalking her or some crap._

" _Where are your friends," she asked instead, her head tilting down to catch his sight, her chestnut eyes much more intrigued by him than they had been three nights before._

" _Oh." Tapping his fingers on the bar, Hyde tried to scrap together a lucid sentence. The whiskey was already getting to him. "Uh, the one with the goofy accent is with the tall, dumb one. And the skinny one is at home with his inexplicably-hot girlfriend."_

 _The blond laughed_. " _And you?" she asked, her voice sounding so much more welcoming than he remembered._

" _I'm right here." Hyde looked up to see her better. "With you," he added with none of the arrogance from their first encounter. He felt like an idiot, and he knew it was wearing all over his face. To his surprise, she sat down next to him._

 _Hyde gave her a small smile. "So, what's your name?"_

" _Jessica," she said, the slightest hint of shyness coming through. He liked it. He liked her. And he liked what he saw in her eyes, even though it made him a little uncomfortable._

" _You know, I was thinking," Hyde said quietly, suddenly feeling her timidity. "If you were to tell me what time you get off of work, then I could save all my lame come-ons for then."_

 _Hyde grinned, and she laughed, only the slightest noise escaping, and he knew, almost immediately, that he could hang out with this girl for a while. There was something about her. She was normal. And real. Without answering, she stood. And as she walked behind him to leave, Hyde was struck with more of the usual disappointment._

 _He grabbed his drink. Fuck it. At least he had tried._

" _Eleven," drifted into his left ear, and he turned, shocked as she smiled warmly and then walked away, bringing that sinking feeling back to his chest. Sinking, but without the pain. It was a thick, heavy sensation that felt amazing._ That _he could handle. And Jessica, the twenty-two-year-old waitress from Madison, he would soon win over._

 _She would fall in love with him on a Sunday afternoon at the beach, the day before she finally gave herself to him. And every day after, she would make sure he knew. She would make sure he felt it. And he did. Through the last mile of it all, she had held him and whispered those words that made him forget who he had once been. Because with her, he was new. And in that second chance, he had thrived…_

Hyde wondered, as a plate of food was placed down in front of him, why was he doing this to her. What in the hell was the matter with him? He was exactly the dirtbag she had feared he was.

"Steven?"

Slowly emerging from his trance, Hyde stared at the pepper shaker that sat in the middle of their table. "Yeah?"

"Baby?"

The soft tone of Jackie's voice snapped him out of it, though, and he looked up to see the sweeter of her pouts, the one that naturally formed over her features when she was concerned. Her eyes were wide, giving him that puppy dog look that made him sickeningly weak in the gut. He assumed that she had no idea she was doing it. Or did she? Hyde blinked. Whatever. It didn't matter. Because there it was, in the pouting flesh: the reason he had betrayed Jessica.

And the reason wanted somebody else.

Regardless, Hyde grinned at her. He wasn't going to dwell on it, because they still had four days before she went running back to _him_.

"You know. When we were really young," Hyde grabbed his fork and knife and cut into his steak, "Like, kids. I thought you were really cute."

Haughtily, Jackie smiled and placed her napkin over her lap. "You did?"

"Uh-huh," he said and leaned forward to bring a piece of steak to her lips. "Taste it."

"So, was this before or after you hated me?" She took the bite. "Mm. It's good."

"Uh, during," was his response.

They both smiled knowingly at each other.

"Anyway," Hyde cleared his throat and cut another piece of steak for himself, "I was just going to say that if I had known how hot you'd turn out, I would've kicked Kelso's ass when we were nine and stolen you way back then."

Immediately, her face sparkled and lit up as she twirled her fork inside her linguine. In her pleasure, though, she narrowed her eyes playfully and looked up. "And how do you know I would've _let_ you be my boyfriend way back then, Steven."

Hyde scoffed. "Please. You wanted me." After taking a drink of his Coke, he continued. "I saw that look you gave me by the tetherball court. After I wrapped Kelso's head to the pole." He put another piece of steak into his mouth and grinned at her with self-satisfaction as he chewed.

Jackie tucked in her chin in. "I was actually impressed by that."

"Of course, you were," he replied.

* * *

 **Fifty-Eight Minutes Later**

 **Kenosha Medical Center**

Hidden inside a dark enclave near the janitor's closet, Jackie waited. Her mind was a thousand miles away, on the lower west side of Manhattan. She was finding it impossible not to wonder what Colin was doing or who he was with. And that craving for him returned. She hadn't seen him in so long, and worse, she hadn't heard from him in three days.

Like she always did during Colin's trips, Jackie found herself missing him and the way he held her body against his. Because inside his arms breathed the security that she had sought her whole life and she had come to rely on that safe feeling. He would never intentionally hurt her or abandon her without explanation. At least, she didn't think so. He loved her, and, today, she missed that feeling of knowing just how much.

Pulling her head forward, Jackie wiped her eyes and realized that her hands were shaking. It was another one of those mild panic attacks that arrived when she was alone and given time to think. Colin was wonderful. Most of the time. But he had his pride and would undoubtedly leave her if he knew what she had done. And he would never forgive her. She knew it. But she couldn't bring herself to send Hyde away. She just wasn't ready yet. He had been ripped away from her so many times and, this time, at least, she had the incredible gift of knowing that it was coming. This time she could let him go on her schedule. In her way.

"It's all clear."

Startled, Jackie looked up to see Hyde's face and then inhaled deeply as his strong hands slid around her waist and pulled her in. "Hey. You okay?" he asked.

Jackie smiled, her lips grazing his rough cheek while he wrapped himself all the way around her. "I'm fine," she said and coiled her arms up around his neck.

Leaving in that subsequent breath was a slight sigh. He was nice to hold onto, and it felt so incredible to be held onto so tightly in return. But that's all there was. That's all they had—a few memories and a physical connection. She wasn't stupid. She knew it was all that came with his hugs. Lust, and nothing more.

Her hands steady, Jackie closed her eyes.

She wouldn't send him away, though. Not yet. This was her second chance, her last chance, to go back. To fix it. To redo those final hours until they were something to be proud of. Something to remember with fondness. It was now Monday, and she had four days to let go of all the dreams she had imagined for them, of all the plans they had made together. She had four full days to take a clearer mental picture of all the things she wanted to memorize about him, without the pain of his betrayal turning it all black. Four days to exchange all the bad memories with the very best parts of him. In four days, somehow, she would beautify an ugly past…

* * *

A Few Minutes Later

Room 445B

There was only the high-pitched beep of the EKG machine that offered any distraction as Jackie and Hyde stood on either side of Leo's bed. Both stared down at the sleeping hippie. Both wondered if he would ever rouse again. He looked so peaceful, so content in the depths of his long sleep. It was strange to see him this way. Usually he had so much to say. And even though none of it made any sense, it was a hell of a lot better than this.

Jackie glanced at Hyde. "Do you think he can hear us?"

"I don't know," Hyde answered, shrugging, and looked up at her. "But I did see this show once where people were in comas for years and woke up, able to recall exact conversations between the nurses and doctors." Hyde smirked. "Mostly the dirty stuff."

Laughing, Jackie pinched at the material of his shirt. "That would be you, you pig. Leo wouldn't…" As Jackie looked back down at the sleeping man, the sound of her words still resonating from her lips, his eyes snapped open wide, making her scream out. "Ahh!"

More terrified than she, Leo screamed, too. "Ahh!"

"Ahh!"

"Ahh!"

Panicked, Hyde swatted over and over at her arm. "Hey! You're going to give him another heart attack, man! Calm down." He turned to Leo. "Hey! Leo, man?"

"Oh my God," was all Jackie could say as she clutched her chest and watched Hyde shake him.

Leo only continued to gawk at her, though, his eyes widening. "Hey, I know you," he said, his voice still gravelly from sleep. "You're Loud Girl."

Dumbly, Jackie nodded.

And to her surprise, Leo smiled brightly. "Oh, man. I gotta find Hyde. He's been looking all over for you."

"Leo. Hey," Hyde attempted again, shaking his friend, but the old man was too focused on his ex-girlfriend.

"When'd you get back from Chicago?" he asked her, clearly astounded by the sight of the long-lost brunette.

Jackie shook her head. "No, Leo. I haven't been in Chicago."

"Well, no wonder he couldn't find you," Leo responded dejectedly. "He's been really bummed since you left. You should've come back, man. That wasn't cool."

Hyde shook him again. "Leo." To no luck.

"I didn't go anywhere, Leo," Jackie responded. "You just saw me last Christmas."

"Leo," Hyde tried again, this time grabbing Leo's head and forcing it toward himself. Leo's eyes grew again in surprise.

"Hyde!"

Relieved, Hyde smiled. "Hey, man. How are you feeling?"

"Hyde. You'll never guess who I found, man." At those words, spoken with so much excitement, Hyde decided to just play along.

"Who'd you find, Leo?"

"I found Loud Girl," Leo exclaimed, obviously proud of himself. "Now you don't have to be so mopey all the time, man."

Grinning uneasily at Jackie, Hyde patted the old man's arm. "That's awesome, Leo. Thanks, man." Then he shrugged at his ex. "I'm going to go get the nurse," he told Jackie. "I'll be right back. Don't let him get up."

Jackie nodded and watched him leave. Sensing wide eyes boring into her, she looked back down at a smiling Leo.

"Hi."

Painfully, Jackie smiled. "Hi, Leo." Still intrigued by the random comments he had made, she checked the room's entrance. Hyde was long gone. So, as an impish gleam crossed over her face, she leaned down. "Leo, what were you talking about?" she whispered. "What do you mean he was looking for me…"

* * *

Several Minutes Later

"…we tried to call you but no one answered," Leo's nurse explained as she walked into the room with Hyde following close behind. Her first stop was at Leo's I/V and medication bags to check his levels, where she smiled at Jackie and turned around. "He woke up about four hours ago," she told Hyde. "Dr. Cahill already came in to examine him. He's stable for now. But the doctor wants to keep here for at least a few more days while we run some tests."

At the news, Hyde couldn't help but shine. The smile that was planted on his face, most likely, would to be there for the rest of the day. His friend would be okay…

* * *

Forty-Seven Minutes Later

From across the room, Hyde sat in the big, comfy blue chair and watched them, a small smile wearing through as they argued. It was amazing how childish the two of them were in each other's presence. He had forgotten how ridiculous they could be. But it was so fucking entertaining that there was no way in hell he was going to step in and mediate.

"You read it," Jackie said, re-fluffing the mad lib magazine in her hand as she sat on the bed beside Leo.

"You read it," Leo retorted.

"Leo! Read it!"

"No! You read it."

Growling loudly, Jackie shimmied in her seat. "Read it, Leo," she demanded.

"No! You read it!"

"Leo," Jackie cried out. "You wrote it!"

Leo frowned. "I did?"

"Yes."

"Wow. I've never written anything before." Leo smiled at Hyde. "I'm an author, man."

With an impressed affect, Hyde nodded and, suddenly, Leo turned to Jackie with a glare. "Gimme that," he said, snatching the Mad Lib out of her hands. Jackie simply rolled her eyes and shook her head at Hyde, who could do nothing but chuckle in silence. It felt strange to have them both in the same room again like this. It was memory provoking, and actually kind of cool.

Leo fluffed the magazine and shot another dirty look at Jackie before beginning. "An amusement park is always fun to visit on a hot summer dog. When you get there, you can rent a Hyde and go for a swim. And there are lots of Canadian things to eat." Leo looked up and smiled brightly at his brunette co-writer. "Hey, this is getting really good." Looking back down, he continued. "You can start off with a hot dog on a Loud Girl with mustard, relish, and windows on it. Then you can have a buttered ear of shoe with a nice…" In the blink of an eye, the smile that had been clinging to Leo's face let go, and his eyes wavered shut.

Terrified, Jackie looked up. "Steven!"

Hyde shot up from his seat and rushed over to them. "Hey. Leo. You alright, man?"

A long moment later, Leo opened sullen, but clear eyes to the young man that seemed, now, to be his only friend in the world. "Hey, Hyde?" Both Jackie and Hyde exhaled. "You remember how we said that you were my father and I was your son. You know, since we don't have any family of our own."

With a breath of reprieve, Hyde nodded slowly and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah. I remember, Leo."

"Well, I actually did have a son once, man," Leo reminded him.

"I know."

At that, Leo smiled, a spacey look glazing over his eyes. "We used to have loads of fun when he was little, too. He was a cool kid, man. His mom and me just didn't see eye to eye all the time, you know, so things didn't work out."

Quietly, Jackie and Hyde just listened. It seemed a rare moment of clarity which, Hyde knew, as Leo aged, were falling farther and farther between.

"She was the coolest chick, though, man," Leo added. "Biggest green eyes you'll ever see." Sensing her presence, Leo smiled over at Jackie and pointed at her left eye. "Like that one." Then he moved his attention to Hyde. "Hey. Do you think…Do you think he'd want to see me, man? My son?"

"Yeah, Leo. Of course, he'd want to see you. You're his dad, man."

Leo smiled at Hyde. "Would you call him for me?"

Oddly, Hyde failed to answer right away and Jackie couldn't figure out why. She waited, though, her interest piquing further when he glanced at her with the same troubled look he had worn earlier in the day. "Sure," he eventually replied to Leo as he drew in a heavy breath. "Whatever you want, man."

With a smile, Leo picked up the discussion again. "Last time I saw him and his mom, they were in Green Bay where she used to…"

"Man, I have been looking all over for you," Kelso's voice interrupted as he rushed into the room and smiled at Leo. "Oh, hey Leo." And then turned back to Hyde. "That chick called me again today, man. And Brooke was right there. If I hadn't been there to answer the phone, she would have totally found out! You've gotta help me, man."

Standing up from the bed, Jackie walked into the conversation with concern. "Well, where is Brooke right now, Michael?"

"At home," he derided. "God, Jackie. Keep up."

"Well what the hell do you want me to do?" Hyde asked him.

"I don't know. Talk to that girl Allison for me, man. Get her off my back about her friend." Just as an idea hit him, Kelso snapped his fingers. "Hey. Just put the moves on her. She asked about you."

"Oh, no, no, no," Jackie cut in matter-of-factly. "He is _not_ putting the moves on some skank just to fix your screw up!" She stepped in front of Hyde. "You're just going to have to tell Brooke what you did and hope that she lets you keep all your man parts." Jackie folded her arms with not one nugget of sympathy left for her ex.

Kelso's face twisted. "Oh, really? I guess that means you're going to tell Colin about your dirty week with Hyde, right, _Jackie!"_

"No," she replied, the inflection in her voice rising. "Because I didn't knock Steven up, _Michael."_

Grabbing her waist, Hyde grinned from behind her. "That would be a neat trick, though."

"Fine!" Kelso screeched, tossing his hand in the air as he started to pace the cream-colored linoleum beneath his feet. "Well, what the hell am I going to do then?"

Like tennis spectators, Jackie and Hyde watched him briskly walk from one side of the room to the other, over and over again. Neither was going to say a word, in hopes that the unruly pest would just skedaddle and leave them alone.

"I don't know, man. But we can't help you. We're, uh…" Hyde took a deep breathe. Think. "We're going to be out of town." He grinned and shrugged his weakly feigned apology.

"What?" Kelso stopped. "Where are you guys goin?"

Jackie frowned at Hyde. "Yeah, where are we going?"

Nervously, Hyde's eyes shifted left to Jackie and then back to his clueless friend. "Green Bay."

Kelso scoffed. "Well then you're taking me and Brooke with you."

"No freakin' way, man," Hyde blurted out.

"Taking you where?" Donna asked, Eric following closely behind her as they made their way inside of Leo's fourth floor room.

CRAP!

"Nowhere," Hyde replied quickly.

"To Green Bay," he heard Leo announce. Damn it. "Hyde and Loud Girl are going to find my son for me." Both Hyde and Jackie winced and shut their eyes.

Luckily, the clueless redhead hadn't seen a thing. Her eyes were set squarely on the patient she had come to visit, her jaw dropping. "Leo! Oh my God!" She rushed over and hugged him, flashing a smile at Hyde as she did. "When did he wake up? Why didn't you call us?"

Hyde turned his hands up. "He just woke up a few hours ago, man. He's doing fine, though."

"So, uh, you and Jackie are going to find his son?" Eric asked him suspiciously.

"Yup," Kelso grinned from his seat on the big, blue chair. "Hyde and _Jackie_. Isn't that nice of them?" The stupid smirk on Kelso's face made Hyde wonder where the nearest tetherball court was located. He was going to strangle the idiot. "They're taking Brooke and me, too. Right, Hyde."

Hyde only glared at his friend. What the hell could he say?

Leaving Leo's side, Donna smiled and walked over. "Wow. Road Trip. That sounds awesome. Can we come?"

"No," Hyde responded, waving his hand at her. "The whole damn world doesn't need to go."

"It's would just be, what, six of us," Eric argued.

Hyde shook his head. "No, 'cause if you guys go then Fez will get all, _'How come WE never go on road trips together?"_ he mimicked, in the foreigner's accent.

"No, he won't," Kelso said and stood up, joining the mini-powwow in the middle of the room. "He has to work all week."

"Yeah, but we don't even know that Leo's son is actually _in_ Green Bay," Hyde lied, making a quick glance at Jackie, silently begging for help.

She looked nervous, though. "Steven, just… Who cares," she said through tight teeth. "You're making a really big deal out of it, for no reason."

Eric smirked at Hyde. "Yeah, Hyde, what are you freaking out about, man?"

"I'm not freaking out." Hyde was freaking the hell out. It felt like the walls were closing in around him. And fucking Jackie. She wasn't helping at all.

"OK, then. So, we're all going to Green Bay," he heard Donna say and felt a cold sweat strike his body. Fuck. Then it hit him. Jessica, Donna…

"Yay," Kelso exclaimed. "I'll go call Brooke."

"Crap." Anger was starting to burrow into the worst places of Hyde's mind and he looked up at Donna. "Oh, and I need to talk to you." He glared at Jackie and then at Eric as he grabbed Donna's arm. "Alone!"

When they got into the hallway, Hyde let her go. "What the hell did you tell Jess?"

Donna cringed. "Oh! Yeah. Sorry. I figured you'd told her about the weddings."

"Yeah. Well I hadn't. You know how she gets about Jackie."

"I know and I'm sorry." From the apologetic wince she continued to give him, Hyde's anger began to fade. She obviously hadn't meant to screw him. "I didn't think Jackie being there would freak her out, you know, but I forgot about the Halloween date and, apparently," Donna narrowed her eyes at him, "you were being a total ass the other day."

"I wasn't." A tilt of her head and Hyde threw up his hands. "Fine. Whatever. But you just made it worse." Together, they sighed. And Hyde realized that his was out of relief. Donna didn't know shit. Everything was still OK.

Hyde looked around as Donna stood awkwardly, waiting for him to say something. But, with no more cause for concern, he was back to his quiet self. Noticing a nearby bench, he felt exhaustion hit him and walked over to sit down. "Now she's pissed at me."

Donna shook her head and sat down next to him. "I don't know why either. I told her you and Jackie were never really that close."

Hyde grimaced and looked left at her. "What?"

"Yeah, I mean. You dated for a while but…"

"We dated for two years," he reminded her.

"Yeah, I know but it's not like you were in love with her or anything." The moment her sentence was complete, Donna downcast into a pensive frown. She was going to correct herself. "And even if you had been," she amended. "It was over a long time ago."

His eyebrow flared up. "Yeah, well, Jess sees it another way."

"Well, we were there," Donna assured him. "We know the truth. Do you want me to talk to her?"

"No. I'll take care of it," he scowled at her, wondering if she was only saying that make him feel better or if she really believed that he had never loved Jackie. Truth was, it didn't matter what Donna thought. Like she had said, it was over a long time before this night anyway.

Placing her hand on his knee, Donna gave him a sincere look of apology. "I'm really sorry, Hyde." She stood up.

Hyde stopped her, though. "Hey, tell everyone that I'll be right back. I have a phone call I gotta make."

"Yeah. Okay…"

* * *

A Few Minutes Later

"Yeah. Room 1016," Hyde asked the hotel clerk who answered the phone and waited as the phone rang.

" _Hello?"_

Hyde closed his eyes. "Hey."

" _Hey."_ Her voice was strong tonight. Not in anger, but with something that made him a little uncomfortable.

"You still mad at me?" he asked her.

" _I don't know. Should I be?"_

"No," he said quickly. Yes. Damn it. "Look. Jess. I didn't tell you because I knew if you knew she was there, you'd freak out."

He heard her scoff. Yeah, she was still pissed. _"I only 'freaked out' because you kept it from me."_ She went quiet again, which wasn't like her, but anger seemed to fuel her mouthy-ness again _. "What is going on with you lately? You haven't called me in three days. You won't answer your phone. You didn't even call after I hung up on you. And you've been acting weird ever since I left."_

"What the hell do you expect, Jess? The store's gone. Leo almost died. It hasn't exactly been a great fucking two weeks, you know?"

From across the line, Jessica sighed. _"I'm sorry… I just miss you, okay. And Jackie… God, it just seems like every time I turn around lately, I'm hearing something about you and her. And I didn't even know that Colin was out of town until Donna told me. I guess I just…thought…"_

"Well stop. Okay?"

" _Then stop hanging out with your ex_." There was a deep breath. _"I trust you, honey. I do. I just don't like my boyfriend going on little dates with his ex-girlfriend while I'm way over here. Why can't you understand that? God, you acted like a complete asshole that time I told you Matt called me."_

Turning his eyes to the ceiling, Hyde sighed. Damn it. He had acted like a dumb ass about the whole Matt situation, a simple phone that had made him jealous as hell. "Fine. I get it. Alright. I won't… hang out with Jackie anymore."

" _Thank you,"_ she responded.

"I have to go. I'm at the hospital, and Leo just woke up."

" _Oh, he did? How is he?"_

"Fine, I think," Hyde explained. "But, he wants me to find his son again."

" _But… the last time…"_

"I know. I don't think he remembers, though. I think I'm just going to have to go to Green Bay and talk to David in person this time."

 _"OK."_

Hyde smiled. Damn it. She was too understanding. "K… I'll call you in a couple days?"

" _Yeah."_ Less than _what_ she was saying, it was _how_ she was saying things that flared up his guilt. She sounded lonely. _"I miss you so much, Steven. Only four more days, though. And I'll be home."_ Her intonation rose. She was seeking a response that would make her feel better, that would tell her that she was missed, too. As usual, she was practically begging for scraps.

"Yeah," was all he had to offer, though. Guilt and self-loathing had pushed everything else down. "Bye…Jess…"

Slowly, he placed the receiver down, before he could force feed her one more lie. He did miss her, he missed a lot of things about her, but she didn't deserve his half-assed replies, not after what she had said or the way she had said it. He couldn't match her passion today, not that he ever could.

Hyde took a step back as a wave of fresh remorse approached and smacked him in the face. Something beneath his sternum began to churn and hurt like hell. There was a girl, hundreds of miles away, thinking of him and missing him. And here he stood, feeling nearly nothing but guilt in return, guilt for wanting someone else.

Accepting his culpability, Hyde headed back to Leo's room. He wanted to stop seeing Jackie, but it was easier said than done. The nights just never ended that way. They were ending in a soft bed together, naked and comfortable between layers of warm sheets, and his body was always finding its way inside of hers. No matter what he told himself during the daylight hours, the nights would come, and there was never any turning back.

But he had to remind himself that his ex-girlfriend was just that, his _ex_ -girlfriend, and that this, this sick feeling, was all just memories of her, fucking with him.

Hyde sighed. Four days and he would be free. He walked and hoped...

* * *

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **9:06 PM**

Jackie's apartment was dark, minus the soft glow of a single lamp that sat on her nightstand; and eerily quiet. Still, Hyde had to listen attentively as he moved closer toward her voice. To his frustration, though, it wasn't growing any louder, even as he stepped slowly into her pitch-black living room. Luckily for him, she lay spread out on the kitchen floor, so a subtle echo of her words served him nicely.

He thought.

Hyde stopped when he realized that she was crying. "…I know … I'm not, baby. I just miss you."

Those words stinging more than he thought they would, Hyde sat down on her couch and shut his eyes, resting his head in his hands as she continued.

"I was thinking about you today … Yeah … You were?"

Her crying continued unfettered, and only seemed to intensify, but her voice remained so soft and intimate that Hyde could barely decipher her words. Curiosity, though, forced him to pick up what he could.

"Me, too … I know. I just really feel like I can't do any of this waiting anymore … No, I don't mean it like … You've said that before, though … Well I wasn't sure if you really meant it … Well, no … Well, I start to miss you, too … Of course, I want to … You're still coming home on Sunday? … OK."

Hyde heard a small laugh, but it only made him feel like shit. Why in the hell was he even here, sitting on her couch, listening to her make fucking cooing noises at her boyfriend. It made him sick and he brought himself to the very edge of the seat but he couldn't bring himself to stand. She was still talking and he wanted to know what the hell she was telling him, wondering what bullshit he was telling her back.

"Uh huh," Jackie giggled, her voice rising. "Yes … Maybe … Would you tell him to shut up … Uh huh … OK … Yes … I promise … Say please first … Colin! … Say it! … Fine … Well, OK. I love you, too, then, baby" One more giggle. "Bye."

The sound of a click prompted Hyde to stand, and without waiting for her, he walked back into her bedroom to grab his things.

A room away, and feeling as if an anvil had been removed from her shoulders, Jackie glided into her living room and sat down on the couch. She took a deep breath and smiled, satisfied that that part of her life was still intact. So, she moved her focus to the other and stood back up to go see what Hyde was up to. Though, before she even made it a few steps, he walked out from her bedroom and stopped.

"Hey," he said right as she noticed that his shoes were on and his bag was clutched in his left hand.

Jackie frowned. "Where are you going?"

"Oh. Yeah. I was, uh," He made his way over to her door, where she met him, and slipped his arm around her waist for a hug. "I'm going to head out," he said and kissed her cheek.

"What? No. Why?" she asked, hugging onto him as tightly as she could. He had no answer, though. He was only nuzzling his face into her neck and tickling her skin. His kisses were soon being peppered below her ear, growing heavier with each one, and she closed her eyes, knowing. "You heard my phone call."

"Yeah."

At that, Jackie pushed him back slightly until their lips were nearly touching. "Don't leave. Just because I miss him doesn't mean I'm ready for you to go."

"Jackie…"

"No, Steven. You're staying."

"I'm going, Jackie," he asserted, startled by the instant pout that puffed her lips and cheeks. He was surprised at how quickly she thought to revert back to her old tactics. He wanted to smile—she knew what she was doing—but raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment instead. He wasn't giving in this time. "You can pout all you want, Jackie. I'm still going." She only continued to stare at him, so pathetically as her hands clutched his shirt. "I'm not trying to be a dick here, Jackie," he added. "I really think it's time I go." And as he watched her, not a single feature on her face moved, except for her bottom lip which protruded out shamelessly. He only stared at her. "Jackie." The lip came out further. Damn it. "Fine, but I'm going home—without you—tomorrow. Okay?"

Jackie smiled. "OK." She gave him a kiss and took his duffel bag from his hand. "Now go to your car and go get that baggy out of your secret spot," she ordered and patted his chest before walking into her room.

Hyde watched her go and sighed. "Crap…"

* * *

Forty-Five Minutes Later

Complete slow down. Incredible haze. And naturally, Hyde smiled. A blurred trail of images accompanied him as he looked to this left where she stood nearly bare in his Black Sabbath t-shirt. There was a deep fog between his brain and her body, though, one that held him inside himself and kept the bad shit at bay. Fuck, why hadn't he thought of it before? His stash. When all else fails, get loaded. She was brilliant. He smiled again, blissfully, slowly. He couldn't help it, especially when she twisted her head back to smile at him, her eyes appearing just as sleepy as his. Her smile, just as drowsy. Man. She was the coolest square chick he'd ever known.

"C'mere, Steven."

"Uh-uh. I like it right here," he said, patting her bed. "You come here."

"I'm looking for a record."

Hyde grabbed another joint from the baggy on her bedside table and grimaced as he lit it. "Well if it has tambourines or a synthesizer, don't bother," he said, exhaling it out.

"Steven, don't be such an ass." Hyde looked up and smiled as she continued to sift and raised her index finger. "I have something I think you might like."

"I doubt that, but go ahead and try." He willed himself not to burn her too bad when she whipped out Devo or some shit, thinking they were cool. To his astonishment, though, she raised one of the best records ever created.

"Where the hell did you get that?" he asked her.

"You."

Hyde frowned. "Wait, you stole that?"

"Sure did."

Chuckling, Hyde set the joint down on a can of 7up. "Man, I always just figured Sam stole it when she left." That earned him a glare. "Sorry." Guilt pushed him to his feet and he ambled over to her while she slipped the record from its sleeve, and gently wrapped his arms around her, watching as she placed it over the turntable.

"I stole it after that whore showed up," Jackie explained. "I didn't want her taking my pet name away from me."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "She wouldn't have, Jackie."

"Why not, Steven? She took you."

Hearing that truth, Hyde's shoulders fell. She had no idea how guilty he was feeling over that, his culpability becoming more and more evident as these nights came searching for them, and as all these reminders found their way into conversation. Jackie spun around with a smile, though, as the crackling of Led Zeppelin III in motion began to fill her bedroom.

"I just wanted it," she said and gave him a quick kiss. "It belonged with me."

The beginning chords of 'Tangerine' began as she slid past him and Hyde shook his head. She really knew what she was doing.

"C'mere Steven," he heard come from the behind him and turned around. Slowly, he made his way over and sat down beside her, complying as she placed her hand on his chest and directed him onto to his back. "Lay down, baby."

 _Measuring a summer's day…_

Giving to her what was left of his weed-destroyed will, Hyde simply watched Jackie as she gently straddled and settled over him. The only movement he made was to slide his hands beneath the thin hem of her shirt to hold her hips steady as she picked up the smoking joint by his head.

Anticipating her intentions, Hyde watched as she took a hit from it. Holy shit, he missed these times with her. Between the lows, there were incredible highs.

 _I only find it slips away to gray…_

Jess refused to smoke, refused to get high with him. And that meant there was a void, an absence of what he saw as the best parts of a relationship. The ridiculous laughter, the mischief, the high as hell sex, and of course, he thought, as Jackie leaned down, the shotguns. And as she placed her lips to his to breathe the past back to life…

… _April 2, 1978 …_

Tangerine, Tangerine  
Living reflection from a dream  
I was her love; she was my queen  
And now a thousand years between... _  
_

 _He had Led Zeppelin III spinning on his record player while Mrs. Forman did her annual spring-cleaning upstairs. Every window in the house was wide open, letting in the first warm breeze of the new season and blowing away the staleness of winter. Beside him on his cot, Jackie lay, exhaling the last of her smoke toward the ceiling._

" _I like this song," she commented quietly. "It's pretty."_

 _An arm tucked behind his head, Hyde grinned and turned it toward her. "Okay, n_ _ow_ _you can be my chick."_

 _As her jaw fell, Jackie's eyes widened and she abruptly rolled over him, stopping when she was straddling his hips. "Steven," she nearly shrieked, slapping two manicured hands down onto his chest. "You say that like I wasn't before."_

 _Hyde subdued a smirk. "Well, you didn't like Zeppelin before." He stretched casually, adding to her torment. "And I'm sorry, baby, but I was just stringing you along until I found a chick as cute as you that does."_

 _Jackie narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."_

" _I'm not," he said, wincing when she punished him by pinching his nipples. "Ow, Jackie."_

Thinking how it used to be  
Does she still remember times like these?

 _Quickly, she had settled, though, her arms pillaring either side of his head as she stared down at him. She knew he didn't mean it. It flickered playfully in her eyes. There was no use. Everything he'd done up until this moment had given him away. He was in deep. He didn't want to be but, every day, she was proving him wrong about her, and he was losing his will to fight._

 _Hyde stretched out his arm and retrieved their joint from the ashtray. After taking a hit, he raised his chin, gesturing for her to meet him halfway. And like the incredible girlfriend that she was turning out to be, Jackie leaned down and parted her lips against his, slowly sucking in his smoke as she entertained his tongue, her kiss as intoxicating as the cannabis they consumed._

 _Straightening her arms, Jackie blew out the smoke with a frown. "What does 'Tangerine' mean?"_

" _Tangerine is a chick," Hyde explained, resting his hand on her hip, pleased that she wanted to know about something besides what came out of some dopey fashion magazine. "A groupie." He took another hit and offered Jackie the same, but she shook her head._

" _Does he love her?" she asked of the song, waiting for his response as if he knew the answer to every question that ever fraught the universe._

 _Blowing out his smoke, Hyde shook his head. "Page wrote it. Not Plant." She looked so confused that he smiled. "The guitar player wrote it."_

 _Jackie frowned. "Oh… Well, did_ he _love her?"_

 _Hyde thought about it carefully. "You know, I don't know."_

" _Well, why would he write a song about her if he didn't?"_

 _Unsure, Hyde shrugged. "Maybe he did. She was his favorite groupie." Stretching over, he put the joint back. "His best girl."_

Tangerine, Tangerine  
Living reflection from a dream

 _When he returned his hands to Jackie's hips, the look on her pouting face was so chaste, so much cleaner, and so much more honest, than any that he had ever known, that all other thought ceased. Something was plaguing her mind. Besides his stash._

" _Steven," she asked. "Am I your Tangerine?"_

 _The grin that washed over his own lips, and the exultation that came with it, spread through his whole body like wildfire. Damn, she was cute. "Of course, man. You're my chick." His answer, so certain, made her shoulders rise and her entire face brighten with the greatest smile he'd ever earned for himself._

" _Oh, Steven." The full weight of her body fell over him. "I'm your Tangerine," he heard her purr in his ear and closed his eyes._

And now a thousand years between…

They had been young back then, in a time when it was all so innocent, when the future meant nothing and the moment held everything. Before he had ever disappointed her or made her cry, he had been a rock star in her eyes and _she_ had been his Tangerine.

Without another thought, while these recollections still kept that feeling fresh, Hyde pushed her body up, until her wide, bloodshot eyes were smiling down at him, and cupped her cheeks.

"Jackie."

"Huh?"

Hyde sucked in a massive breath. "Leave him."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: You and Me, Babe. How about it?**

 **Music:**

Romeo and Juliet – Dire Straits

* * *

The air around them smelled sweet, and Jackie lay content on her belly, comfortable in her own haze. It was the sort of comfort that comes through in soft, warm waves and carries you all the way home, wherever that may be. Tonight, it was over the expanse of his bare chest.

Closing her eyes from the world, Jackie inhaled slowly and parted her lips, preparing to drag the inquiring tip of her tongue across his skin, when her body was abruptly separated from his.

Hyde's warm palms cupped her cheeks. "Jackie."

His eyes locked her gaze on him.

"Huh?" left her lips unconsciously as she watched him fill his chest with all the air between them and exhale it out in one weathered huff.

"Leave him."

Instead of lifting, however, Jackie's marijuana-induced haze settled like blinders around her head, leaving only two bright blue spheres to score through her. She opened her mouth before realizing that she had not a single thing to say, and then shut it again, triggering his already vulnerable expression to fall.

Jackie felt his hands slide away and, just as quickly, she sought that warm place again on his chest again.

Bringing her face to the soft crook where his collar bone met his throat, Jackie finally ingested some much-needed air. The more the seconds ticked past, though, the more she couldn't believe that she had no words for him. No squeal of joy. No barrage of questions. No passionate kiss. Nothing. Only _his_ words, ironically, remained.

Leave _him_ …

 _June 4, 1984_

 _New York City_

 _Lights. God, they had been everywhere. White, twinkling ones laced throughout the shrubbery and trees of what felt like the center of the universe._

 _Jackie looked up in complete wonderment. It was the most beautiful vision she had ever lay eyes on. Against the summer night sky, the little lights glowed like stars and gave her a fresh image of how heaven might look._

" _You like it?" Colin asked her, and she turned to see his face, flattered by the lights that surrounded him. The smallest smile snuck through his lips when she beamed._

" _Like it? Baby, I love it!"_

 _She loved it so much she nearly twirled in her new dress. But this was New York City, and she had to show all these snoots that even a girl from Wisconsin could act civilized. So, instead of twirling, she smacked Colin in the chest, lightly, of course, careful not to wrinkle the pricey shirt he wore tonight._

" _Why haven't you brought me here before?" she berated her now confused boyfriend. "You know how much I love twinkle lights and dressing up."_

 _He frowned, though amusement seeped through. "Jackie, Central Park isn't always lit up like this." Taking her by the hips, he moved closer and explained. "It's part of this 'Summer Festival in the Park' thing."_

" _Oh," she acknowledged with complete disappointment, her lips pouting. "I assumed it was like this all the time."_

 _Colin smiled. "No, sweetheart." He looked all around them. "This is all just for you…"_

With renewed haste, Jackie sat up and nearly gasped, surprised when Hyde sat up with her. His eyes bounced between hers, more restless then she'd ever seen them, and she had to look away. "Oh, my God." He was serious.

"Jackie."

Countless thoughts muted his voice, though. Some were questions, some were doubts, but most were confused stabs that made her stoned brain ache. One in particular stuck like glue.

Without another word uttered, Hyde released what sounded like a defeated sigh. "Are you going to say anything?"

"What?" Finally, she looked over at him. "Oh. No."

His expression exposed the same confusion that she was feeling. "Wait. 'No,' you're not going to say anything or "No…"

In a swift move, Jackie leaned toward him to cut him off. "No." Regretfully, she shook her head and swallowed down the beating organ that was creeping up her throat. "No, I'm not going to leave him, Steven. I love him." It seemed so final, especially as she watched his face become devoid of all emotion. He simply blinked away. "Steven."

He winced. "No, I get it. It's cool. Just forget what I said."

"Steven. Please look at me."

He did. "I'll, um, I'll call you tomorrow," he said, pushing her up so he could slip out from beneath her. "I need to think."

"Why? Where are you going?" Jackie stood on the bed as he got up from it. "Steven, stop."

"What?" he sneered, turning around to see her. "I need to get the hell out of here, okay? This whole thing is just getting too screwy for me."

"It was fine until you, out of nowhere, asked me to leave my boyfriend. I'm assuming, for you."

"You know, a simple 'No' would have sufficed, Jackie." He turned back around to leave.

Jackie flew off the bed, "Steven," and beat him to the door, stopping him in his path by pointing in his angered face. "OK, look you. You can't just throw that at somebody and then leave."

Hyde scoffed. "Watch me."

Her eyes narrowed. "I know you, you know. I know exactly what you're doing."

"You don't know anything about me, Jackie."

She scoffed right back with a smile. "Oh, yes I do, Mr. 'I'm too cool to care about anything'. I know you better than _anybody_. I didn't say what you wanted and now you're going to shut down." From there, Jackie threw up her hands in his face. But Hyde wasn't listening anymore and tried to move past her. A simple hand to his chest stopped his forward movement. "But leaving…" she continued while Hyde squared his sights back on her, "isn't going to get you what you want. And it's this kind of behavior, right here, Steven, that made me say _No_ in the first place."

"Jackie. I don't care why you said no. I don't even know why I said it," he claimed flatly. "I'm stoned."

Those words hit her surprisingly hard. But they weren't surprising. Not at all. Jackie nodded, her down-turned lips nearly quivering as she fought back the inevitable. "Yeah, that's what I figured you'd say." Taking her hands from his chest, she stepped around him. "That's another reason I said _No_."

Swiftly, Hyde grabbed her fleeing hand but kept his eyes forward. "Wait." She tried to pull away, but he held on tight. "I don't want them to come back," he admitted quietly with her still behind him, and then experienced the most painful rush of adrenaline wallop his entire chest.

This was harder than he thought it would be.

"Why not, Steven?" she asked a moment later and walked back around to face him. Her expression was lit up like a firework show, her eyes huge with query. "Steven, I asked you…"

"I heard you." Flexing his jaw, Hyde forced himself to continue. "Because... I don't… want…" Frustrated, Hyde dropped his hands to his sides. "I…"

"Okay. Okay," Jackie hushed him as she rose to her tip-toes and brought his forehead down to hers, lightly scratching her fingernails tenderly over his scruff. This close, she knew, he was capable of intimacy. "Just say it, Steven. Whatever it is. I'm listening. What don't you want?"

"I don't want him touching you," Hyde murmured. Closing his eyes, he kissed her lips and pushed on. "I don't want _anybody_ , but me, touching you anymore."

Jackie set her heels down. "Steven," she sighed. "What is it you want? For me to leave him so I can be your mistress?"

Hyde shook his head. "What? No."

At that, a relieved breath escaped Jackie's body. His shins were safe for tonight.

Hyde watched her. Five years before she would have jumped, clapped, screamed like a banshee and then flown into his arms. Back then, she had loved him so much that it scared the shit out of him on a daily basis.

"You know what," he said, recalling her initial answer as he cupped her cheeks. "It doesn't matter."

Hyde took note of the door behind her, plotting his way out, already able to taste his freedom from her, and from this room. Inside here, the temperature felt like it was rising, and he didn't want to be high anymore, but he was locked so deep inside of it.

Hyde gave her a gentle kiss. "I'm sorry I couldn't be what you wanted back then," he whispered before stepping around her and walking out.

Jackie's back fell to the wall. She was suddenly feeling trapped within her stoned brain. The room was moving in a million directions and the light that presented it faded away as her eyes closed shut. Inside the darkness, there was a beat, a collage of their sweetest memories, images from various stages of their love, of the smiles and frowns and warm eyes that had defined them. Every part of her wanted to run and stop him, to ease the beaten look on his face, to kiss it all away. She was certain that, after everything, he finally understood it all, but it had taken him five long years to get here.

Five years, it turned out, was far too long.

He was too late.

 _I'm sorry I couldn't be what you wanted back then._

Exhausted, Jackie opened her eyes. "But you were…"

Walking across a parking lot never seemed so arduous. His throat had never been so dry. It was hard feeling this low, this lost. Especially over something that was so beyond his control. Every step sunk him deeper into the concrete until his feet grew heavy and began to stall like they were carrying him further and further from home, a sense that never seemed to disappear, from the time he was six.

From that age on, he had fought most battles alone. And that's how he would fight this one. He would shove her back, like he did everything else - his parents, his friends, and all of the women who had ever tried to love him, until they were all out of reach, far behind his polluted glass wall. And they were screaming, _always_ screaming, at him, for something. To break it. To push through. They saw him there. They knew. But glass walls are thicker than steel when you will them to be.

Reaching his car, Hyde stuffed his hands in his pockets, searching for keys as he tilted his head back to catch the rain. The coolest, thickest drops quenched his parched lips, and, as he swallowed it all down, he made the decision.

No more…

* * *

 **The Next Day**

 **Tuesday, November 13, 1984**

 **11:07 AM**

 **Milwaukee, WI**

Jackie's eyes snapped open. Her first thought was that she felt unreasonably smothered. Taking inventory of her body, the ex-cheerleader noticed that the sheets were coiled tightly around her legs and her pillow was gone.

Aimlessly, she kicked and kicked. "God! Get off!" she shouted through her frustration and finally bucked her limbs free. Relaxing again, the fact that the bed was empty became her next discernable ache of the morning.

With a whimper, Jackie sat up and looked around. There was a knot in her throat. Her bottom lip quivered. Definitely lonelier. And quieter. She suddenly felt so hollow and touch-deprived. The past few nights had been so warm and snugly, with his skin in constant contact with hers. Kisses were never-ending. Whispers were God. And he was the cause of it all.

An audible groan filled the room. "I really hate you, Steven." She missed him so much.

Frowning, Jackie bounced off her bed.

Her little purple phone book. The one with all the flowers on it. Where the hell was it?

Shuffling around her apartment, she opened and closed the usual drawers and found it. "H," she whispered to herself while flipping to the corresponding page. There it was: Steven Hyde. "Jerk," she grumbled to herself, purely for anger's sake. How could he just lay something like that on her while she was high?

He was always doing that, she realized. Just throwing demands at her. _You_ _choose right now._ _Which one of us is it going to be?_

Picking up her phone, Jackie growled, swearing that he was never going to hear the end of it today. As soon as they were done making out, she was going to give him a big chunk of her mind.

Jackie dialed and waited, tapping her foot as it rang. Again. Again. "Answer the phone," she demanded into the receiver. Again. Again.

" _Hey, it's Hyde. Leave a message."_

 _Damn!_ Jackie hung up. She couldn't leave a message. After waiting another few seconds, she picked up and tried again, to the same outcome.

"Ughh! Why aren't you answering?" It wasn't enough that he was unreachable, but she couldn't tell him it was her if he was screening his calls and she couldn't call Donna to… "Oh my God. Donna."

Jackie picked up the phone and dialed.

" _Hello?"_

"Donna!"

" _Jackie? What's up?"_

"So…What time are we supposed to meet at your house again?"

" _Wait. I thought you weren't coming."_

"What? Why wouldn't I be coming?"

" _Well Hyde said…"_ Donna sighed _. "Hyde!"_ she screamed out.

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Wait. Steven's already there?"

" _Yeah, we're getting ready to leave."_

"Oh no, you're not! You are _not_ leaving without me, Donna!"

" _Well, where the hell are you?"_

"Home."

" _Jackie, that's at least thirty minutes away."_

"I'll be there in twenty. And if you let them leave without me, Donna…"

" _I won't. Just hurry up. Hyde's already bitching to go."_

"Then stall," Jackie demanded and hung up the phone.

* * *

 **Point Place, Wisconsin**

 **Outside the Forman/Pinciotti Apartment**

 **Thirty-seven Minutes Later**

With all of his might, Hyde wrenched Kelso's arms back into a full-Nelson, exposing the taller man's belly as his sweatshirt rose.

"Hurry, Forman! Before he gets all squirmy!"

"Hey! Cut it out, you guys!" Frantically, Kelso looked to his right, pleading with his soon-to-be wife. "Baby, help me out."

Brooke winced. "I would, Michael. But you kind of asked for it, honey."

"See," Eric said, twirling a freshly cut tree branch with a self-satisfied grin. "Even Brooke knows you deserve this."

"Come on, Eric! I have kids, man!" Just as predicted, Kelso began to squirm violently, causing Hyde to struggle to keep him in place.

"Hurry up, Forman! I can't hold him forever."

Eric sighed. "OK," he shrugged and poked Kelso in the gut, tickling his sensitive belly with the tip of the switch.

Immediately Kelso began to giggle. "Hey! Cut it out, man! I can't…No…I can't…It tickles…OK! OK! Uncle! Uncle!"

Mercifully, Hyde let go, only for Kelso to straighten himself up and stick out his tongue.

"Ha! I won. You let go."

Behind him, Eric glanced at his watch. "Where the hell is Jackie?" he asked, sitting down on the tailgate of el Camino next to Donna.

The redhead shrugged. "I don't know. She said she'd be here in twenty minutes."

"Jackie can't be _anywhere_ in twenty minutes," Kelso explained, strutting toward his bride. "It takes twenty minutes for her just to decide which set of keys goes with her outfit."

"Michael, hush," Brooke yanked him toward her and made him with her on the curb. "She'll be here."

Eric huffed. "Well, I say we just leave without her."

"We're not leaving without her," Hyde said, ignoring the knowing stares of the newly informed majority. "I'll be right back."

Without giving another thought to the stupid smirk on Kelso's face or the strange look on Brooke's, Hyde walked past them all and into Eric and Donna's apartment.

From across the parking lot, Jackie sat in her car and watched him go; determining immediately that her coming was a mistake. Not that she wanted to see him miserable. Jackie cringed. Well, crap. Maybe she did. But God, he didn't have to be having such a good time, smiling and playing with their stupid friends as if nothing had happened between them the night before, especially while she was feeling so wretched inside. _And_ , he was _finally_ clean-shaven. To her, he seemed, already, like a totally different person. And bad memories only accompanied that realization, the worst of them involving him.

With a sigh, Jackie stepped out of her car and walked the parking lot toward her friends. It was beautiful out, the sun shining for the first time in weeks. It was a perfect, crisp, fall afternoon. She, of course, was warm, wrapped in her peach-colored wool coat, her favorite brown boots clicking on the pavement as she closed in on the gang.

Everyone knew. Everyone except Donna. This was going to be a harrowing day. Always the politician's wife, though, Jackie put on her best smile and took a deep breath. "Hey, you guys!"

Inspecting his reflection, Hyde turned his head from left to right. Were his sideburns uneven? Crap. They were. But he really didn't care. The truth was, he was stalling. And for good reason. He had no idea how he was going to deal with Jackie today. It had all gotten so screwed up. One day she acted like she used to, like she cared about him, and others, she acted like a complete chick: out of her damn mind.

Sickened by his own stupidity from the previous night, Hyde gave himself a disgusted look and turned around, opening the bathroom door to leave. He hadn't made it but a few steps when he noticed her standing by the front door and stopped.

"Hey," he said, causing her to look up.

"Hey."

He looked around for the others, not finding them. "What's up?"

Jackie watched him apprehensively step toward her. He was frowning. But at least he wasn't ignoring her. That was encouraging.

When he stopped a few feet from her, Jackie glanced at the front door. "I told them I needed to go potty before we left."

"Oh," he muttered.

"I only said it so I could see you," she confessed, but he didn't respond. "Did you mean what you said? Or were you just…" Growing nervous at his silence, Jackie looked down. Her heart felt as if she had just nose-dived from a moving plane as she waited for him to laugh and say, 'Did you think I was really serious?' or something resembling his old brand of cruelty.

"What are you doing here, Jackie?"

Looking up, Jackie blew out an indignant huff. "God, I knew you were going to be like this."

"Like _what_?"

"A jerk."

"Christ, Jackie. Don't start this crap," he said. "You told me you'd rather be with him so I left. Did you come here to make me feel worse about it?"

"No," she said, shaking her head as she approached him. "No, Steven." Needing to feel his chest up against hers, her fingers found their way inside the pockets of his jacket and hooked inside to pull him the rest of the way. He didn't protest; he only stared back at her with impassive blue eyes, making her dread what might be waiting behind them—the boy who had fallen in love with her or the monster that had sent him away.

Taking tentative back steps, Jackie pulled Hyde along until her back hit the wall behind her. Still, even with his blank expression, she felt safe with him. He wouldn't hurt her. Not anymore. She kept telling herself that when she opened her mouth. "I came because I wanted to change my answer." She watched his eyes come alive. "But not to 'Yes," she explained. "To 'I don't know."

Hyde's face soured. "What?"

"Listen to me. I'm saying 'I don't know. Maybe'. That's my answer right now."

He still appeared confused. "Are you playing games with me again with the 'I don't know' crap?"

"What? No." Jackie shook her head. "I really mean that I don't know…" Putting her hands on either side of his waist, she shook his body slightly as her expression turned to worry. "…yet."

"Yet," he repeated cynically and shifted his weight. "Look, Jackie. I didn't plan on saying that last night, okay? But when I did, I was kind of hoping you'd know _right then_."

"Well, I didn't. And I don't now, Steven. And you have a lot of nerve. We were together for two years, and you didn't know if you wanted me. You didn't even know if you loved me. And you haven't said you love me now. So how can I make such a big decision, based on only a couple weeks of fooling around?"

"No, no. Back up. I didn't know about _marriage_ , Jackie. Not about you. I knew about you."

Jackie cocked her head. " _Really?"_ _she scoffed._ "You didn't know about marriage but you…"

Anticipating her next words, Hyde put up his hand. "Alright. Alright," he grimaced. "We don't need to get into that again. You know what I mean."

"And you know what _I_ mean. Steven, I've been with him for a year and a half. And… I love him. We've made plans." Hyde rolled his eyes away, so Jackie tugged on him again, shaking his stubborn body. "Hey. Cut it out. Until two weeks ago, you and I hadn't even spoken in months." At the recollection, Jackie glared at him. "And that was the day you said I looked like a troll."

In his own defense, Hyde raised his hands up to either side of his head. "Your hair was sticking up like this!" A slight smile sweetened his expression, but Jackie wasn't smiling. In fact, her frown was deepening as Hyde's smile grew into a laugh. "Oh, come on. I was kidding with you," he said, resting his fingers on her waist. But her face remained unchanged. Sighing, Hyde let go, his smile disappearing. "Alright. Look. You'd obviously rather be with him. So just…forget what I said. Okay? Please."

At that release he was giving her, he expected relief to wash over her face, but instead she looked wounded, even more so than before. "I don't know what I want, Steven," she confessed quietly. "And it really scares me."

Jackie shook her head in complete bewilderment.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore, Steven. But…" She took a deep breath as he inched closer, his hope burgeoning. "I do know that I don't want you to go away." Reaching up to run her nails along his jaw line, Jackie closed her eyes and kissed him gently. "I don't want her touching you either," she admitted and kissed him again, softly, with lazy, comfortable lips. So softly that she had him entranced. "I woke up and missed you," she digressed and opened hopeful eyes. "Did you miss me?"

Hyde shrugged. "Not really."

Gasping, she smacked him in the stomach. "Steven!"

Pleased with her reaction, Hyde grinned and cupped her face. "I'm kidding," he said, raising an intrigued eyebrow at what he was about to say. "I missed you like crazy."

Between his hands, Jackie wilted. "Oh, Steven…"

* * *

A Few Minutes Later

As they all stood by the minivan, Kelso turned up his palms. "So, who's driving?"

"It's your van, man," Hyde reminded him.

"Yeah, but I drive all night long for my job, Hyde. I'm on vacation, and I'm taking a break."

"Well, I'm not driving," Hyde asserted, implementing the first stage of his plan and praying that it went off without a hitch.

"I'll drive," Eric volunteered. "It's only, what, a three-hour trip?"

Hyde shook his head. "Not even." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Let's see, take I-43 from Milwaukee all the way to Green Bay, and it's exit 187. The directions are simple, man."

Eric took the paper and shoved it in his pocket with a smile. "Oh, I'll screw it up."

"Oh, I know you will," Hyde assured his friend. "That's why you'll have Donna up front with you."

"And plus," the redhead threw in excitedly upon hearing her name, "I can DJ."

Grinning, Hyde nodded. Without a hitch.

As Kelso slid open the van's side door, Jackie yanked Brooke aside.

"I need to talk to you."

"You know, Donna is getting suspicious," Brooke immediately warned Jackie. "She was just asking me about you and Hyde and…"

Jackie waved her off. "I don't care about her right now." Nervously, she swallowed as Brooke stared questioningly at her. Inside, Jackie knew she was about to be berated but she didn't care anymore. "He asked me to leave Colin."

"What?!"

"Shhh! Quiet," Jackie hushed her, glancing around. "He wants me back, Brooke. What do I do?"

Her shoulders falling, Brooke sighed. "I saw this coming a mile away."

"Fantastic _._ Now help me."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him I don't know yet."

"Jackie!"

"Shh!"

The taller brunette was thoughtful for a moment. "If you leave Colin," Brooke said soberly. "Hyde _will_ break your heart again. You do understand that, right?"

"What?" Pensively, Jackie looked around her and shook her head. Deny. He wouldn't. Brooke just didn't understand. "No, no. He's not like that anymore. He's just… He's not. Okay? He's different."

"Really, Jackie? Do you think Jessica's going to agree with you on that?"

Jackie's throat went dry as her face fell into disillusionment. It hit so hard, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She kept forgetting about Jessica and what he was doing to her.

Over by the van, Hyde pushed Kelso aside. "Hey, Kelso," he whispered. "I was watching this show the other day… said that the safest place you can be in a van is in the middle seat."

Kelso was confused. "Huh?"

Hyde continued. "Yeah, man. It was the craziest thing. Apparently, if there's an accident, the people in the middle seats always live while everyone else dies a terrible, fiery death."

"What about their faces?" Kelso asked.

"Not a scratch." Hyde stepped closer, his feigned concern almost cartoonish but, of course, Kelso was oblivious. "Hey, did you notice that, uh, Forman is looking a little glassy-eyed today?"

Kelso threw his hand high into the air. "I call middle seat!"

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

Interstate 43

 _"Pride (In the name of love)" by U2 begins to play on the radio_

Rolling at a steady 65 mph, the Forman caravan was that much closer to its destination of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and to the house of David Warner: Leo's only son.

The chatter was grouped by couples, minus the occasional gripe to Donna by Kelso over her radio station choices. But way in back, all by themselves, Jackie and Hyde sat quietly, speaking to no one, not even each other. Things were strained now, Hyde figured, because of his stupid admission the night before. And although, he wasn't sure what her intentions were, at least she wasn't saying 'No' anymore. Of course, while part of him, his deep-seated ego, was pissed about her indecisiveness, another part knew that he was far past being able to let that side of him take over. She didn't care enough about him to tolerate it.

So, silence reigned, because until she answered, what was there left to say? He was terrible with words. His inability to stitch together a comforting sentence had only created big rifts out of small ones in the past. So, without opening his mouth, Hyde laid out his hand, palm up, over his left knee and waited.

Staring out her window, Jackie watched a few cars speed past. Her mind was stuck on his question. They hadn't even really talked about it. But she knew what he wanted. And it still had her stumbling. A couple of years ago, she would have told him hell no.

She did, in fact.

And a couple of years before _that_ , while she still loved him darkly, she would have kicked him in the shin for even thinking it. But now, she was at peace with him. She could leave it there. Leave him behind, in a good place. FINALLY sever the irrational tie that bound her to him. But then a memory would come and he would touch her and their bond didn't seem so irrational anymore.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jackie saw him move. Down to her right, his palm was face-up over his knee and she followed his arm all way up to his eyes, making him return the gaze. Looking back down at his hand, Jackie took it and watched it close around hers.

"Hey, Steven," she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Do you…" Jackie glanced forward to make sure no one was paying attention so she could scoot in closer to him. "Do you love Jessica?"

Hyde took a moment to think about it, then said, "I don't know."

"But you want to leave her?"

"I guess I'm willing to, yeah."

"But you don't want to?"

Hyde put two of his fingers to his temple and shut his eyes. "Jackie. What's this about? What's going on in your head?"

"Well…I mean, you're just going to leave her? Without any warning? Does she think you love her? I mean, does she even suspect that she's that insignificant to you?"

Hyde's expression fell. "What does it matter, Jackie?"

"Because a girl never knows with you, does she? One day, she thinks, "Maybe he loves me." And the next thing she knows, you have a stripper on your lap… or an ex-girlfriend."

"You think I do this all the time?"

Jackie sat back. She kind of did. And she wondered if Jessica had attempted a commitment demand on him, too. "I don't know. Do you?" she asked him, staring at the seat in front of her.

"No," he said. "Do you always run straight to your ex-boyfriends when your current one isn't giving you what you want?"

"No. I don't," she snapped quietly. "And for your information, Colin gives me _everything_ I want."

"When he's actually there, maybe," Hyde countered, rolling his eyes away when he realized that he had slapped her in a sensitive spot. The look on her face had him immediately regretting his words. This was impossible. Neither one of them trusted each other. And neither one of them had any mercy left for the other. He wasn't sure how eager he was to break up with Jessica before Jackie even answered No, and now, it would be a miracle _if_ she ever did answer.

Hyde wasn't sure how long he'd been staring out the window when Jackie nudged him. When he turned his head, she rattled a tiny notepad in her hands, safely tucked down near their laps. It had writing on it, he noticed, and tilted his head to see.

 _I'm afraid_ , it read.

Without a sound, Jackie handed him a pen. Grimacing, Hyde looked at its pink feathered tip and sighed, shaking his head before he began to write.

 _Of what?_

 _Of you_ , she returned on the pad.

 _Why?_

 _It would only be a matter of time before you broke my heart again._

 _No_ , he wrote and dropped the pen into his lap. "Jackie."

"Shh. Write," she whispered, looking around the car nervously.

Grabbing the feathered pen, he took the notepad from her, wrote down what he wanted to say, and handed it back with an annoyed huff.

 _You'll be the last._

 _The last what?_

 _One._

 _I wish I could believe you._

Ignoring her efforts to hand him back the pad, Hyde slouched in his seat and looked away. Jackie hit him with it. He watched her narrow her eyes and, giving in, grabbed the pen again.

 _If you're going to say no, just say it._

"Why can't you just try to reassure me?" she whispered instead. "Why can't you just do everything you can to make me believe you?"

"Because I don't know what to do," he admitted.

Jackie's face hardened. "Well. If you really care about me, Steven, like you're, kind of, half-assed claiming to, you'll figure it out." With that, she scooted over and leaned forward to wrap her arms around Brooke's neck and lay her head down on the seat back. They were whispering about something and Hyde shook his head. She was out of her mind, always wanting miracles—Hyde sat back—gestures he didn't know how to give. The fact that she had actually grown into an even bigger pain the ass was becoming more and more apparent as these strange days passed them by. Basic charms meant nothing to her anymore, his physical affections were meaning less and less and his tiny one-worded offerings were only pushing her further away. The fact didn't get past him that he was going to have to do better than he was doing if he really wanted her.

Question was: How bad did he really want all of this?

* * *

Twelve Minutes Later

After twelve straight minutes of sifting through incomplete memories, Hyde tapped Jackie on the shoulder with a decent amount of confidence, making her break her conversation with Brooke about wedding shoes to finally look at him.

"What, Steven?"

"I thought of something."

"Huh?"

Hyde looked at Brooke, who was staring strangely at him. "Could you…" He twirled his finger curtly, telling her to turn the fuck around. Luckily, for him, she simply rolled her eyes and did. "Okay." Clearing his throat, Hyde looked over at Eric and Donna to make sure they weren't paying attention and then pulled Jackie toward him, just about onto his lap.

"Steven, what are you doing," she asked as he centered them behind Kelso's broad shoulders and big head.

"OK, you remember that one Halloween," he started in a low voice, "when we snuck back to the basement while everyone else was still at that party?"

"Right after we first got together?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah."

She nodded. "Uh-huh."

"OK, um, we got into a fight, because you wanted me to tell you…"

Jackie arched her brow. "That I looked pretty in my costume. And you refused," she finished for him tersely.

"Yeah, that." He paused, a little unsure now if what he was about to say would turn out to be the dumbest thing ever said or something that would make her happy with him. To his surprise, Jackie only folded her arms and waited. So, he went for it. "Well… You were the most beautiful slutty pirate I'd ever seen," he explained shamefully, shaking his head. "Ever."

Carefully, Jackie studied him; his expression was a mix between discomfort and regret. But she had to smile. "Is that what you really thought that night?"

Subtly, he nodded.

"So why wouldn't you tell me?"

Shrugging, Hyde kept his eyes on her. "I don't know. I guess, because you really wanted me to and I was being an ass."

A half-pained, half-confused look on her face, Jackie nodded, understanding but yet not. He was out of his mind. "So why are you telling me this now, Steven?"

Again, he shrugged. "Just so you know."

Smiling gently, and aware that he was trying to do, Jackie glanced up front and then planted a few soft pecks on his lips before pulling away and leaning her forehead against his. "I hope you weren't resting everything on that."

"Uh, no. But you'll have to give me some more time. It took me," He glanced at his watch, "fifteen minutes to come up with that."

"Well it earned you a kiss," she said. "But that's all. For now." She gave him another kiss and then left him again, returning to her conversation with Brooke.

Smirking to himself, Hyde never noticed Kelso turn around.

"Did I look pretty that night, too, Hyde?"

Hyde's smile fell. "Get bent, Kelso." Immediately, planning to wipe the annoying smirk off Kelso's face, he smacked him in the back of the head. "Turn around."

Kelso grabbed his head. "Ow, Hyde! I was just wondering, man. I mean, I was hoping that maybe I was the _second_ most beautiful girl you'd ever seen," he snickered, sticking out his tongue.

With that, Hyde leapt over the seat and dropped Kelso to the side floor by the door.

"Ahh, my eye!"

"Michael!" Brooke huffed as the two continued to wrestle. "Get off the floor. I just ironed that shirt."

Finally pinned beneath Hyde, Kelso responded in a high-pitched whine. "I can't…"

One Hour Later

"Ha!" Jackie shouted and stuck her tongue out at Hyde. "I won. Now look at how many I have," she bragged, scooping up her 'War' victory cards. "Sucker."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just keep going," he said, unable to restrain a smile.

"Wait." Jackie frowned suspiciously. "Are you letting me win?"

At that, he grimaced. "How am I going to fix _War_ , Jackie?" He expected a bratty response from her but; instead, she gave him a flirty smile that he was really digging at the moment. He reached forward to grab her hips, then, glancing up ahead, slowly pulled her forward over their pile of cards.

Keeping a watchful eye, too, Jackie giggled quietly. "Be careful. She's going to notice."

"She won't," Hyde assured her and brought her completely onto his lap. "C'mere." Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he gave her a kiss and pulled his leg out from beneath him to bring her backwards down onto her back.

"Steven, no." Jackie tried to sit back up, but he was already on top of her, smirking. "She's going to see."

"Come on, Jackie. Have I taught you _nothing_ about the art of sneaking around?"

"Huh?" She made a face. "Steven. We've been caught more times than I can count. You suck at sneaking around."

"Whatever. You talk too much," he said, pressing his mouth down over hers.

"God, Steven..." The moment she tasted his tongue, all fear of Donna disappeared to the back of her mind. On one of her breasts was his rough, insistent hand, and she wished for privacy.

Up front, Donna was busy changing radio stations.

… _with every step you take  
Every move you make, every vow you break  
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake  
I'll be watching you…_

"Yeah, yeah, stop here, Donna," Kelso insisted. "It's a good song."

"I did stop," Donna said, turning around. "Oh my God. Did I tell you guys about the last…" She stopped abruptly, a stunned scowl on her face. "Hey. Where'd Jackie and Hyde go?"

"Huh?" Brooke turned around to see nothing behind her but window. Kelso turned around, too.

Peering over the seat, they were shocked to see that the pair in question were actually all over each other in back with Hyde unabashedly lying on top of Jackie.

"Oh yeah!" Kelso shouted.

"What?" Donna asked. "What's going on?"

Brooke's jaw dropped. "Oh, my God." Leaning forward, she punched Hyde in his head as hard as she could. "So, did you find it yet?!" she shouted through clenched teeth.

Hyde grabbed his head and rolled off of Jackie, dropping down to the floor and leaving her alone on her back to panic. But before she knew it, he had jumped up onto the seat beside her with his eye ring raised high into the air. "Found it!"

"Oh, good!" Brooke declared, louder than necessary as Hyde grinned uneasily at Donna.

"My ring." Beside him, Jackie sat up. "Thanks, uh, Jackie. You know, for helping." He smiled at Donna again and nodded.

"Oh, no problem, Hyde," Jackie smiled back flatly, keeping her stiff body as far from his as possible. Her heart was pounding uncomfortably against her ribcage. Donna was the worst person to get caught by. But God, it seemed like it was only a matter of time…

* * *

 **Twenty-six minutes later**

 **Connolly Rest Stop – Interstate 43**

As Hyde walked up to the gas station to get some drinks for him and Jackie, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, man."

It was Eric, and Hyde turned around to address his friend. "What's up?"

"Has she messed your head up that much, man?" Eric asked him. "Have you lost your mind? Donna finds out, I guarantee you she tells Jessica."

"Man, Forman, don't start on me right now. I've got enough crap to deal with."

"Yeah, well, I'm sick of lying to Donna. 'Cause guess what, Hyde, when she finds out, I'm in as much trouble as you. And on top of all that, we're all going to have to start lying to Jessica and Colin soon, too."

"Will you stop whining? It's… I'm hoping you won't have to do any of that."

"Yeah, lots of luck lying to Colin," Kelso interrupted, walking up as he chewed on a hot dog. "He's a smart guy. He's only been in America for, like, five years and he already speaks English perfectly."

Hyde grimaced. "Kelso, you idiot, he's Irish."

"Yeah, I know!"

"Kelso," Eric chimed in wryly. "People from Ireland speak English."

"Now that's just stupid talk, Eric. Do you even hear yourself?" Kelso scoffed. "People from _England_ speak _English_. Duh."

Blinking copiously as Kelso walked away with his hot dog, Eric opened his mouth to speak but Hyde waved him off. "Let it go, man. You can't have a battle of wits with someone who's clearly unarmed."

Raising a pensive brow, Eric accepted this and turned to Hyde. "Yeah, OK. So, hey. What were you talking about? Why wouldn't we have to lie?"

Hyde sighed and leaned closer to Eric. "Because… I asked Jackie to leave Colin."

They stared at each other for a moment. "Oh, man, you're serious," Eric said. "Ok. So, what'd she say?"

"Nothing yet."

Eric nodded. "So, you're, like, serious about her then? I thought you hated her, man."

"Obviously I don't hate her."

"You used to."

"Yeah. Well. Things change, Forman. You're going to keep giving me crap about this?"

"No. No, man. I'm not. I'm just… I mean, aren't you worried just a little bit that she's, you know, messing with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… Look what you did to her, man." Eric laughed uncomfortably. "I mean, you left her for a stripper. She's got to be pissed about that, right? And Colin's all… _Coliny_ with his _sexy_ accent." Eric rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying. Why would Jackie pick you, man? When she's got that? Especially after what you did. She's not leaving him. She's probably plotting her revenge right now."

Hyde's eyes fell. It struck him. So hard. Eric was right. Why _would_ she pick him? Why _would_ she forgive him? He would never in a million years have forgiven her. Never.

"Man, just stick with Jessica and pray that she doesn't find out what you did. Or you're going to have two pissed off ex-girlfriends on your hands."

"Yeah," Hyde murmured as Eric slapped him on the back and walked away, "Thanks, man…"

* * *

 **Green Bay, Wisconsin**

 **5:47 PM**

The group from Point Place climbed out of the van and looked around at the lofty gate that kept them separated from the gated community of David Warner.

"Man, Forman. I think you're the first driver to ever get lost in Wisconsin. Congratulations."

"It's 'cause of your crappy directions, man."

"So, what do we do now?" Jackie complained to Hyde. "I am not going to stand out here all night like some hobo, begging to get inside."

Hyde stood a few yards away next to Donna, staring uneasily at an intercom system.

Donna sneered at it. "How are you supposed to know which button to push?"

"Just ask Jackie," he replied. "She always knows exactly which buttons to push."

Donna laughed as Hyde picked the most top-left one and let go when it buzzed.

" _Can I help you?"_

"Uh, yeah, I'm trying to get through the gate."

" _Who are you here to see?"_

"David Warner."

" _Your name, sir?"_

Hyde gave Donna a funny look. "Steven Hyde," he responded warily.

As the rest of the gang walked up behind him, Hyde waited.

" _No one's answering his phone, sir,"_ the male voice responded a minute later. _"Is he expecting you?"_

"Can't you just open the gate so I can knock on his door myself?"

" _No. I'm sorry. I can't do that. You're not on the list, and he's not answering. You'll have to come back, sir."_

"The list?" Kelso knocked. "What, does this guy think he lives at Studio 54?"

Four grumbling people walked back toward the van, leaving two to stroll curiously along the edge of the sixteen-foot gate until perfectly out-of-sight from the main office.

Studying his options, Hyde looked up.

Beside him, Jackie looked up, too. "You can make it," she said, answering the very question that was crossing his mind.

Grinning, Hyde glanced over at her. He liked when she wore her criminal mind. She wore it well for a girl of her style. Jessica would have told him it was trespassing. She would have worried for him and advised against it. And though he would have found her innocence cute, he would have never listened. But Jackie...

"Screw the Man," she said.

Hyde smirked. "I'll be right back, babe," he told Jackie quietly. "Stay with Donna."

"No. I'm going _with_ you."

He tilted his head at her. "You're going to make it over that fence?"

"No," Jackie said. "I'm going to do _this_." Turning sideways, she shot him a snarky smile and squeezed her small frame though the iron rods that were holding everyone else out. "See."

Hyde's jaw fell.

"Hey, Eric," Kelso said, laughing as the other four walked up. "See if you can make it through, too."

"I'm not going to make it thr…" Eric cut himself off. Everyone was now staring at him, waiting. "Fine." Stepping up, he got a leg through, a thigh, his ass, but that's as far as he was getting. Even the skinny neighbor boy wasn't skinny enough. "I'm too big. I won't fit."

"Write that down Donna," Hyde advised her. "You'll never hear those words again."

Donna flipped her eyes away. "Well, if he's not making it through then none of us are."

"Well, so that's it?" Jackie yipped from the other side. "None of you fat asses can fit through?" Realizing her mistake, she smiled at Donna and Brooke. "Oh, not you guys. You've got…" Squeezing her breasts, she winked. "You know."

Intrigued, Hyde tilted his chin up at her. "Hey, do that again."

"Yeah," Eric seconded with Kelso nodding in agreement. "Do it again."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Just… someone get over here with me! Let's go!"

Startling everyone, dry leaves began to rustle as Hyde quickly backed up and made a run for the gate, jumping for the center horizontal bar that sat at just under eight feet. With a grunt, he pulled himself up and stood on it, with the next bar still another foot above his head.

All the girls covered their mouths and gasped.

"Oh my God, Steven. Be careful."

"I'm fine, Jackie," he grumbled down to her. "Quit your yappin'. You want to get caught over there by yourself?"

"No," she whispered.

Grabbing the bar above his head, Hyde pulled his body up and rested on his palms. Looking down, he took note of the metal spike that was portentously aimed at his heart. "Jesus Christ, they're dead serious about their privacy around here." He swung his leg over the bar between two spikes. Maneuvering his body around the potentially sharp obstacles, he got himself onto Jackie's side of the fence and looked down.

"Jackie, move." She did, and he jumped, landing on his feet initially before the pressure sent him down onto his back. He groaned through the minor sting in his feet and legs.

Jackie fell to his side. "Steven, are you okay?"

"Yeah." He got up and brushed his hands over his thighs. "Come on, you pussies. It only hurts a little. Let's go."

Kelso shook his head and backed up. "I'm not a pussy. I'm afraid of heights. A legitimate fear, Hyde!"

"You've jumped from the water tower a hundred times!"

"I've been pushed; there's a big difference," Kelso whispered harshly.

"Good point," Hyde said. "Forman?"

Eric nodded "I'll go."

"Eric. No. You'll kill yourself," Donna pleaded. "You can't even do one pull-up."

"Oh, if you remember, I did one." He arched his eyebrow bravely. "Once." Eyeing the fence, he shifted his valiant gaze to his girl. "If I don't come back, Donna, don't wait for me. Go on with your life, my love."

Donna sneered. "Whatever."

Hyde waved him on. "Alright, come on, Forman. Just back up and make a run for it. If you catch the bar right…" He stopped mid-sentence as Eric casually stepped up to the gate and painfully shoved himself through, wincing the entire way.

Once he was on the other side, Hyde put his palms up. "Man, what the hell?"

"Yeah," Eric smiled at his friend. "I fit. I just didn't want to be stuck alone with Jackie."

"Okay," Kelso sighed. "So, the three of us are just going to wait in the van then. Maybe I can talk Donna and Brooke into some girl on girl to ease the tension, if you know what I mean." Donna punched him in the arm. "Ow."

Jackie in the middle, all three strolled the quiet streets of the condominium complex. Inside here, the trees—man-planted Evergreens—were still a bright hue of jade, keeping it summer all year round. The pavement was freshly redone and the lights overhead emitted a glow that drove the night's stars far from view.

Grabbing Hyde's hand, Jackie smiled and swung their arms freely. "This place is nice. Way nicer than _my_ crappy apartment complex."

"Yeah, but who wants all the crazy security?" Hyde challenged.

"I would," Eric responded. "It probably keeps out the riffraff."

Hyde grimaced. "Yeah, but then your friends can't just come in and out. They've got to go through all that list crap."

"Exactly, Hyde," Eric asserted as the two men exchanged looks. " _You're_ the riffraff."

Jackie pointed. "Hey, Steven. There it is. Six forty-four."

* * *

 **The Home of David Warner**

Slowly raising his fist, Hyde first turned at Jackie.

"It's going to be okay, Steven," she immediately assured him and smiled before kissing his shoulder. "I promise."

During their exchange, Hyde had watched her lips descend on him and, upon her promise, had turned his own lips up in the slightest show of reprieve. He believed her, Eric realized as he watched the dysfunctional pair and prayed to God himself that she was right, for Hyde's sake, because Leo's rejection, he knew, would be Hyde's own. And as Jackie glanced back worriedly at Eric, he knew that she understood that, too.

After that, the wait was brutal. But the lights were on. And when shadows began to dance over the thin glow below the door, Eric watched Hyde's entire body tense up.

The knob turned and the door swung open. "Yeah," a tall, dark-haired man of about thirty said.

"Uh, David Warner?" Hyde asked.

The man looked at Jackie and then at Eric before turning back to Hyde, confused. "Yeah. What's this about?"

"Oh, um, my name's Steven Hyde. I'm a friend of your dad's." David looked even more confused. "Leo," Hyde elaborated.

The man who wore Leo's face, only younger, glared knowingly at Hyde. "I don't know anyone by that name. I think you've got the wrong guy." He started to shut the door.

"Hey! He's dying, man," Hyde snapped. "And he's asking for you."

Locking eyes with Hyde, David simply shook his head and gripped the door knob, ready to slam it in his intruder's face. "I _don't_ care."

"Excuse me!" Jackie called out, beginning to bounce on the balls of her feet. "Please. Sir!" With a confused scowl, David reopened the door all the way and took notice of the hopping brunette. "We're really far from home, and I have to potty," she implored him. "Can I please use your bathroom?" She pouted as her bouncing intensified. "Please!"

Sighing, David opened the door to let Jackie through. "You've got five minutes." Fast legs carried her though, and she turned to wink at Hyde just as David turned in her direction to point. "Down that hall. First door on the left."

"Thank you!"

Wary, but grateful for her quick thinking, Hyde and Eric followed Leo's son inside his home, shutting the door behind them. "You guys want a beer?"

"Yeah, man. Thanks." Signaling to Eric, Hyde glanced at him and lifted his chin.

"Uh, yeah. Sure," Eric answered, figuring the plan was to stall. Hopefully, Jackie knew to do the same.

They made it as far as the living room when David pointed at his couch, "Have a seat," and disappeared into the next room.

Eric and Hyde sat on opposite couches.

"Hey," Eric whispered to Hyde, who looked rather disillusioned already as he stared musingly at the floor. "Look alive, man."

Hyde didn't move though. Only his lips stirred. "I'm going to screw this up," he said.

"No, man. You're not. Just explain everything to him."

Suddenly, David entered the room, carrying two cans of beer. "Alright," he started before Hyde could even speak and handed off the beers. "I think I remember you now. You called me a few months ago."

"Yeah. But this time he's…"

"No, man." David raised a hand and sat down on a recliner near Hyde. "I don't think you understand. I really don't care. I don't care if he lives or dies. I know that sounds harsh but it's the truth. He left me and my mom when I was ten. Man, he just disappeared one day and left us with nothing. My mom had to work two jobs just to pay for the twenty different shitty apartments we ended up living in."

Hyde sat forward in his seat. "Look, man. I understand more than you think, okay. And I get why you're pissed. But Leo's a good guy. He has…" Awkwardly, Hyde pointed near his head. "He's got memory issues. He forgets where his apartment is all the time. He can't remember people's names. It's not always his fault."

"Yeah, my mom tried to make those same excuses for him, too." Casually, David sat back. "How long have you known him?"

"Since I was, like, sixteen. So, I guess nine years. He was like a dad to me, when my own didn't want to be, you know. He talked about you, though. He didn't know where you were at the time. He wanted to find you."

David nodded. "So how does he not lose you?"

Sighing, Hyde shifted in his seat. "He has. A couple of times. He's gotten lost and disappeared for months at a time."

"But somehow he finds you again."

Hyde took a deep breath. Fielding these questions without making Leo look like a lunatic was harder than he thought. "Yeah." He knew exactly where this was going, though, as did Eric.

To the two men's surprise, David stood up. "I'll be right back." As stated, he was back quickly, carrying a small wooden box in his hand. "It's his," he explained, handing it to Hyde.

"What is it?"

"I don't know," David admitted. "My mom gave it to me right before she died. I never bothered to try and break the lock." He stepped back. "I don't want to know."

"Did she tell you?" Eric asked him.

"No, I don't think she ever opened it either." David shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she did. I didn't ask. And I don't care, man. Just take it."

Staring at the box, Hyde felt like someone had just ripped the life from his body. Leo had been talking about his son for as long as he could recall, dreaming of the day they would meet again. He never forgot. He never wavered. It was the one thing that he was ever sure of, that his son was waiting for him somewhere. And that his girl would smile and throw her arms around him, happy that he was finally home. "What am I supposed to tell him, man?"

"Tell him she's dead," David replied. "Tell him he killed her."

Hyde shut his eyes.

Walking away, Leo's son got to his front door and opened it. "Thanks for coming."

Eric stood and stepped toward his despondent friend. "Come on, man. Let's go."

Hyde only stared at his new box. "Can you get Jackie for me?"

"Yeah."

Inside the bathroom, Jackie was going crazy. Not knowing what the hell was going on was maddening. But she knew she had to stay behind these doors to give Steven, and Leo, a chance. Luckily for her, the bathroom was clean. A girl lived here. A girl with great taste in hair products and perfume. By the time Jackie was done exploring, the place smelled like a French whorehouse, but it was biding the time just fine.

"Ooh, Christian Dior."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Jackie." It was Eric. "Come on. It's time to go."

Smiling, Jackie ran for the door and opened it, expecting to see Hyde there, too.

"Did it work?" she exclaimed quietly, looking around for Hyde. Eric only shook his head. "What? Why? Where's Steven?" She followed a silent, and solemn, Eric to the living room and toward the front door. In their path, quietly sitting in a chair, was David. Jackie watched him as they passed. "Hey."

"Jackie, no," Eric told her and grabbed her hand. "Come on. We have to leave."

"Wait, what happened? Where's Steven?"

"He's outside."

"You," she pointed at David. "You didn't listen to my Steven, did you?"

His eyes on her, David stood as Eric yanked on the small girl. Leo's son raised his hand. "No, it's OK," he said to him and looked down at Jackie. "I have nothing to say to my father."

"Why? Because he was a bad dad when you were growing up?" Jackie scoffed. "Well get over it. Both of Steven's parents abandoned him when he was little. Mine did it, too. And now my dad's dead. And so is Steven's. Well, one is. Whatever. Luckily, it's the poor one."

"Jackie," Eric warned.

"What? I'm just saying. He still has a chance." Sternly, she scowled and pointed at David. "Don't be a dumb ass, David! You only get one father. Rich, black ones with record stores don't just happen to everybody!"

Eric stepped forward. "OK, that's it." Taking her waist, he pushed her out and shut the door.

"Where's Steven?" Jackie asked, once outside.

Shaking his head, Eric looked around. "I don't know. He just asked me to get you." He was surprised when she took off running. "Hey!" He followed, a few steps in realizing that she was heading straight for Hyde.

"Steven!"

Eric watched as Hyde, who was walking in the other direction, turned around in time for Jackie to throw her arms around his neck. His hands landed on her waist, though, and gently pushed her away. From there she stayed motionless while both she and Eric watched him pace and then turn to both of them.

"What am I supposed to tell Leo? Huh? That his son hates him? That he killed his wife? Whatever the hell that means."

Flinching at his outburst, Jackie just shook her head.

"Hyde, man. Maybe Leo won't remember," Eric reasoned.

Back to pacing, Hyde brought his hand to the back of his head. "He'll remember. He always remembers this. He bugged and bugged last time. I kept telling him that his kid wasn't home, that he wasn't answering the phone. But he just kept on and on."

Jackie stepped toward him, "Steven, just tell him…"

Hyde put up a rigid finger at her, keeping her away as he backed up slightly. He didn't want anyone near him, touching him or telling him bullshit that he knew wouldn't work. Box still in hand, he looked around, far past Jackie and Eric. Everything in his life was changing and turning to shit. The decisions he had made in the past two weeks had hurtled him way beyond his comfort zone and it was all making him miss normalcy, and Jessica. If he could, he would rewind time and settle her back into his arms as she told him she couldn't make the Halloween party. He would tell her that he would go home and wait for her. He would bring Leo home and let him move in. He would change it all. If he could.

The next thing Hyde knew, his back had hit a wall, literally. "Steven," he heard softly and set his eyes back on Jackie. Jesus Christ. It was insane how beautiful she had become, but even more insane how quickly she had been able to put him back under her spell.

Jackie stepped forward cautiously, saying, "Steven," and didn't stop until her head came to rest against his chest. "I'm sorry he didn't listen," she whispered, taking note of the way his hands fell so stiffly over her hips. She looked up and took his arms, swinging them around her back and holding them there. Stubbornly, though, he refused to lock them in place. "Hug me," she demanded, but he ripped his arms away and brought his hands to her face, kissing her deeply instead. Her body felt like it was melting beneath his hands. Her jaw was tingling from the way his lips were moving against hers and from the way his tongue felt, as if created with the sole purpose of caressing hers. She loved Colin. She swore it in her heart. But Steven, God, he _was_ her heart, and he was making her fall in love with him. All over again.

From his vantage point of about fourteen feet away, Eric finally looked away, feeling uncomfortable in his voyeurism. His mouth was agape, though, at what he had just witnessed, while the ever-present conscience inside of him began to feel guilty.

He had never taken much notice of them before, never cared enough to really bother. It was just Jackie and Hyde, after all. But half a decade later, he was thinking differently on the matter as he stood quietly on damp Green Bay grass. Contrary to popular belief, it seemed like Hyde actually cared about Jackie. It was hard to ignore that, nearby, his best friend, a known hard ass who claimed to love only Zeppelin and French fries, was whispering softly to a woman, making her giggle as he…kissed her wrists? Eric frowned, confused.

"Jackie, why do you smell like a whorehouse?"

Happily, Jackie giggled. "Oh, you like?" She raised her wrist to his nose again. "David has a girlfriend with expensive taste in perfume. This one is Chanel #5."

Hyde shook his head. "No." He didn't like the smell. Plus, it was the wrist that held the bracelet that Colin had apparently given her and the fact that she was still wearing the damn thing was irritating the hell out of him.

Jackie switched wrists. "OK, and this one is Christian Dior."

He nodded this time and kissed that wrist. "Yeah, I like this one."

"Well, good," she said, slipping her arms around his waist. "You can buy me some then. You owe me a gift. You've missed five birthdays, five Christmases, five Valentine's Days. You owe me many, many gifts."

"I do, don't I?"

Thoughtfully, she nodded.

"Well, how about I just give you the money and you can go buy it for yourself," he grinned, but her face hardened at the half-assed offer. "Or... how about I go buy it _for_ you."

And at that, Jackie smiled and kissed his lips. "I would love that, Steven."

As though he were at the zoo, watching a tiger and giraffe make googly eyes at each other, Eric shook his head in utter disbelief. "This is bad."

* * *

 **Green Bay, Wisconsin**

 **Sizzler Steak House**

 **Thirty-seven minutes later**

"Ah! I found one," Jackie screeched and reached across the table to Hyde, handing him her only bobby pin. "Try that!"

Everyone watched as Hyde tried to jimmy the almost twenty-year-old lock of Leo's wooden box. "What the hell is wrong with this thing?" he grumbled, pulling the bobby pin out to look at it.

Donna snatched it away and stuck it in her mouth. "Take," With her teeth, she ripped off the small pieces of plastic that coated the tips, "these things off." She handed it back. "Now try it."

"It's like finding treasure," Kelso commented excitedly.

Feeling a click, Hyde looked up. "I think I got it."

"Well, open it, God damn it!" Brooke insisted and looked around, embarrassed. "Sorry. I'm just really curious."

Kelso put his arm around her. "It's OK, baby. We all are. Now come on, Hyde!"

"Open it, Steven," Jackie smiled.

After pulling off the lock, Hyde lifted the metal latch and opened the box. At the very top was a stack of pictures that he handed off to Donna. "See who's in those."

The next layer consisted of several letters, which he handed off to Jackie. And coating the bottom was a huge assortment of random items, anti-war buttons and stickers, a bandana, a set of keys, a deck of nudey cards, rolling papers, a pipe, a few boxes of matches and something that made Hyde stop cold. "What the hell's this?" He raised it to show Eric and Kelso. "Man, it looks like…"

He flipped the small vile and watched the clear liquid inside shift to the other side.

"I think…I think it's LSD, man."

"No," Eric said, shaking his head. "It would have dried up by now."

"Would it?" Hyde questioned. "I mean, do you really know?" he said, smiling and raising a small stack of papers from the bottom of the box, perforated into small squares and covered in Grateful Dead logos. At the sight of it all, Hyde began laughing so hard he couldn't stop. "Oh, man. Freakin' Leo. I knew there was more to the story."

"God." Donna shook her head. "This explains SO much."

* * *

Outside in the Parking Lot

Forty Minutes Later

"…I love you so much it hurts. And every day I pray to God that you'll come back so I can stop crying. Because no matter what I do, I can't stop. I wait every night for you, but you never come." A tearful Jackie looked up at Brooke and Donna, who were both crying, too. "Should I…"

"Keep going," Donna requested, wiping her eyes.

Nodding, Jackie continued to read. "Yesterday, David asked about you again, and I didn't know what to say. I don't ever know what to tell him when he asks why you aren't here. Because I don't know either. Is it because you don't love me anymore? Is that it? Because I don't know what happened. I don't know what it is that I did wrong. Because I thought you loved me. I thought…" Jackie looked up, crying harder than she was before. "I can't read this anymore."

"Hey," Hyde reached over and took the letter from her, along with the rest that were clutched in her hand. "Alright. That's enough of that."

"Yeah, they're getting the chicks all depressed, man," Kelso groused.

"Yeah, but that's good for _us_ ," Eric said, smiling mischievously and pitching his eyebrows. "They're going to need comforting."

After pondering a moment, Kelso turned back to Hyde, nodding. "Eric's right. Give 'em back."

Ignoring that directive, Hyde put the letters back in the box and pulled out the small vile. "You guys ready?" he asked Eric and Kelso.

"I can't believe you idiots are seriously considering taking that," Brooke said. "It could be anything."

Hyde grinned. "Well, we'll find out in about forty-five minutes, won't we?"

"Steven," Jackie began, making him look over at her. "You…" She looked around, "You really shouldn't take that."

"Why not?"

"Because… I'm telling you… that you _really shouldn't_ ," she insisted through gritted teeth.

He only stared at her apathetically. "So?"

"So…" She glanced around again and noticed Donna was watching her. "Fine," she grumbled. "But I'm going to remember, Steven, that you didn't listen to my advice."

Nodding, he turned back to his male friends. "So, you guys ready or what?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Michael!"

"Oh, I'm doing this, Brooke!"

Brooke placed her hands on her hips, jutting her breasts out. "Do you ever want to see me naked again, Michael?"

"Yes," Kelso answered sadly, quickly becoming concerned for his sex life.

"Don't listen to her, man. It's a trap!" Hyde cautioned him.

"Yeah, but…" Confused, Kelso glanced back and forth between his woman and his friends. She was so much better looking than they were, and her boobs were so round and soft. But his friends were also looking at him like he was a wuss. "Damn it! Quick, Hyde. Squirt it in my mouth. Hurry!" he shouted, waving him over.

Hyde jumped up as Kelso tipped his head back and stuck out his tongue.

"Michael!" Brooke yelled.

Using the dropper, Hyde menacingly squeezed out two large drops of the mystery liquid onto his friend's tongue and then onto his own. "Quick, Forman. Get over here!"

Jackie stomped her foot. "Steven Hyde!"

"Eric," Donna warned but she was too late.

* * *

 **One Hour Later**

 **9:47 PM**

 **Interstate 43 South – Near the Silverweed Lake Exit**

Her legs draped over his, Jackie held Hyde's face in her hands and stared inquisitively into his dilated eyes. "How are you feeling?"

He merely shrugged.

"Steven," she whispered through the dark, gently sweeping her thumbs over his lips and chin. "You're so stupid, baby."

It took him a moment to realize it, but she was kissing him gently. Somehow, he had found himself straggling about three seconds behind life. His reaction time was non-existent. And he could have sworn she said something. Worse, the next thing he knew she had taken her lips away before he could even consider enjoying them.

"Jackie. I think…" Her beautiful face was so fuzzy, making her features almost indistinguishable. "Yeah, I think it's working."

"You think, you idiot? You weren't even kissing me."

He smiled lazily. "C'mere." Staring at only her plump lips, he leaned forward and took her mouth again, this time savoring the intense sensation of it. Her mouth, her tongue, her hands over the back of his neck, her leg straddling his. His nerves were set to hyper-drive while his other senses lagged behind. He closed his eyes and focused on the way she felt as he kissed and played with her warm, wet mouth. "God, Jackie." Kissing her harder, Hyde moved one of her hands down to the growing bulge in his pants. "We should go home."

She moved her hand, though, confusing him, and a moment later, raised the vile that had been in the box. "I want to try it," she asserted.

"Huh?" Hyde waved his hand adamantly. "No way. It's a beast."

"Uh, way, Steven."

"No. You're too… little. It could… hurt your… something."

"Steven," Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Do you ever want to see me naked again?" Miserably, Hyde nodded. "Then tell me what to do."

"Fine. Give it to me," he told her and twisted open up the seal. "I'm not going to give it to you straight. It's too potent." Hyde looked around, trying to remember if there were any drinks in the car. But there weren't. "Crap. OK. Get ready to kiss me. Just like you were doing. All tonguey like I like it," he grinned.

Jackie smiled back. "I can do that."

Carefully in the dark of the back seat, Hyde stuck out his tongue and dropped a single drop of the liquid on it. Quickly, he plunged it into her mouth, encouraging her to suck the drug from his tongue.

It was all going great. The bulge in his pants was growing and the love in his heart was bolstering. Hers was the sweetest kiss in his memory, but, unfortunately, there was an unforeseen problem in their midst.

"What the hell?" Donna shouted and put on the breaks, pulling the van over into the breakdown lane. "Alright! That's it! Everybody out!"

* * *

Two Minutes Later

His back straight, his left arm touching Jackie's shoulder, his right, Brooke's, Hyde looked around curiously. Had he… Had he joined the army? Distastefully, he frowned. He couldn't remember joining the army. Yeah, no. He would have definitely remembered something like that.

"Hyde! Are you even listening to me?"

"He's all messed up. Donna. He didn't know what he was doing," Jackie argued, bringing Donna's wrath upon herself.

"Oh," Donna said, stepping one person over. "Ok, so then how do you explain _your_ tongue being halfway down _his_ throat?"

Jackie opened her mouth wide but no words came out and her mouth just stayed like that. She was so screwed. "Crap."

"You know, I knew something was going on," the taller girl continued. "But I didn't say anything because I figured you two were better than that."

"Hey," a high Eric sang out happily. "Come on. I think maybe we should all just calm down here." He smiled drowsily. "It's all good. They're in love, Donna."

"Oh, God." Jackie put her face into her hands.

"Hyde," Donna moved her attention back toward him, the main culprit, she figured. The high culprit anyway who would spill, if she could just get him to focus. Stupid Kelso was too busy laughing and pointing at her to be of any use. "Hyde. Start talking."

Hyde smiled at her. "You know, I thought you were hot with blonde hair. But you're much hotter with the red."

Falsely, the redhead smiled. "Thank you, Hyde," she placated him. "Now, can you please tell me why you were kissing Jackie? I want to know what the hell is going on around here. You all look like you're hiding something. Did you cheat on Jessica with Jackie?"

"Donna!"

"Yes," Hyde confessed. "Many times."

" _Steven!"_

"What? They all know anyway. I'm sick of lying."

Eric, Brooke and Kelso all groaned from their place in the lineup. "Thanks a lot, Hyde," Eric muttered.

Donna's jaw fell. "Wait. You ALL knew?!" She stomped over to her fiancé. "You knew, too?" Eric didn't answer, he just casually looked away as he began to whistle. "And… you," She pointed at Hyde. "How could you cheat on Jessica! God. No wonder she was freaking out about Jackie! She was right to!" Immediately, she turned to Jackie. "And I can't even believe _you_ either You know how it feels to be cheated on and yet you inflict it somebody else? On _two_ people. I just can't…"

"Hey," Brooke interrupted. "You don't even know what's going on. Perhaps you should hear them out before you start judging."

Jackie looked over. "Thank you, Brooke."

Taking those words to heart, Donna sighed and passed her eyes over the lineup. They had all known and, for some reason, didn't trust her with the information. "Alright. Fine," she said calmly and stopped her sights on the guiltiest looking member of the group. "Hyde. Just tell me what's going on. Why you would cheat on Jessica like this… knowing how much she loves you." Disappointed, Donna shook her head. "This is going to kill her. Didn't you think about that at all?"

Suddenly feeling the shame that she was trying to impose on him, Hyde looked down, letting his shoulders fall. "No."

"God, you are such a bitch, Donna," Jackie said, jumping to, what everyone assumed, was going to be Hyde's defense. "I can't stand you," she muttered, shocking everyone. "Why weren't you saying all that when he cheated on _me_? Huh? Where the hell were you with all your judgment and anger when he fucking left _me_?! _DONNA!_ " Incensed to her core, the brunette stepped out of line in a huff. "You never once gave a crap about me or how _I_ felt. Oh, but you're right there to defend poor little Jessica, aren't you? Look at him," Jackie screamed, pointing a finger at Hyde who was now staring wide-eyed at her. "He never looked sorry when he chose that whore over me. I cried EVERY night for _months_ over him! And YOU never gave a crap!"

"Jackie. I…" Donna pensively glanced around herself. "I… I defended you when he did that. I said something."

"Really? _What?!_ "

"I…" Donna was struggling to remember. "I said…"

Jackie nodded, feeling vindicated. "That's what I thought." With that, the last word, she stormed away from the group and down a dirt road until she disappeared behind the brush. Glaring at Donna, Brooke stepped out of line and followed.

"Hey. Kelso. Follow them," Hyde said. And Kelso did, while Hyde shifted his restored, but limited, concentration back on his accuser. He raised an eyebrow. "You did say something to me."

"See. I knew I did."

He nodded. "Yeah. You told me it was _probably better this way_." That reminder in hand, Hyde, too, took off down the road behind Jackie.

And as Hyde brushed past her, Donna turned to Eric, slightly embarrassed. It took her a minute as he stared at her, but she finally opened her mouth. "I didn't want him to hurt her anymore. I swear, Eric. I just…I…I don't why I didn't care. I mean, she didn't seem that upset. I guess I knew she was, though," she acknowledged, thinking back on how animated and manic Jackie was acting. "I knew she was hiding it. I just…I didn't care. You had left me, too." Donna shook her head. "I cried every night for you, too, and nobody cared, including her. Eric, say something. Please."

"I came back for you, though, Donna, and I came back alone."

"Yeah."

Eric stepped forward with a smile and put his arms around her waist. "Okay, look. You probably should've given him hell for what he did to Jackie. I guess I always just assumed you did and that he didn't listen. But it's not your fault he did it. That was his choice. The rest you're just going to have to fix with Jackie, 'cause it looks like they might get back together."

Donna deflated in his arms. "He's just going to break her heart again, Eric. It's what he does."

To her surprise, Eric shrugged. "Maybe not."

"He's breaking Jessica's as we speak."

Meanwhile…

"Jackie. Stop walking."

"No."

"Will you cut the crap? You're going to get us all lost." Hyde continued to follow for another few steps and stopped. "Fine, you can get lost by yourself. See if I care."

Jackie kept walking. "Good. Just stay away from me."

"Damn it," he shouted, running up to grab her arm and yank her to a stop. "Look. I'm sorry. I screwed up, but I'm high."

"She's going to tell her, Steven. You know that, right? And Jessica's going to tell Colin. And even if she doesn't, it'll get back to him eventually, why she left you."

"No," he said. "She won't leave me."

Mockingly, Jackie laughed. "Oh, come on, Steven. She's not stupid and you're not _that_ fabulous."

"No, she _said_ she wouldn't," he explained.

"That's just the _dumbest_ thing I've ever heard."

"Well, in her defense, she didn't say it to me. She said it to her sister, and I overheard."

"So, what? You just cheat on her because you can?!"

"I've never cheated on her," he said. "…until now."

"Oh," Jackie sang mockingly. "Well, I guess I should consider myself _special_ then." She wandered a few feet away while Brooke and Kelso stood quietly behind Hyde. Stopping, Jackie inhaled deeply. "You know, Steven, I saw your face. You feel guilty for what you're doing to her." More calmly, she turned back around. "Why didn't you feel guilty over what you did to me?"

At that, Hyde let his head fall back. He hated when she started with this line of questioning. How do you explain to someone that you just can't explain it? "I already told you; I was pissed."

Taking Jackie by the shoulders, Brooke turned her friend around to face her. "Jackie, listen to me. You need to get some perspective here. You should be glad he's feeling guilty over her. Would you really rather him be cold to her like he was to you? That would just mean he hadn't changed at all."

Jackie closed her eyes. "I know. I just wish he had cared that much about me." She opened them. "It still hurts."

"I know," Brooke replied.

"Jackie. It didn't mean that…" Pausing, Hyde shook his head. "Fuck. Forget it."

"He loved you, Jackie," Kelso cut in from his seat on a large rock. He was playing in the dirt, swirling a stick around to spell his name. He was strangely calm. "He's just _Hyde_ and didn't know how to show it." Delicately between his and Brooke's names, he drew a perfect heart. "But he loved you."

Brooke walked over to him. "Honey, are you OK?"

Taking his opportunity, Hyde grabbed Jackie's hand and pulled her to the other side of the dirt road. "C'mere. Look, I know you're worried about Colin finding out. So…"

"Steven. I didn't mean it like that. Even _if_ I choose to leave him, I don't want him to know the real reason why. Okay? I don't want him to hate me. So, either way, he can't find out. I _can't_ have him hating me, Steven."

Hyde nodded. "I get it," he murmured. "I don't want her hating me either. They're not going to find out. I'll talk to Donna, okay?"

That little bit of relief that he gave her, and the sincerity in his stoned eyes, forced her body toward him for a hug. "Thank you."

"Jackie," Donna's voice softly called, causing Jackie and Hyde to look over and cease their embrace. Without another word, Hyde walked away, leaving the two old friends alone. "I'm…" Donna studied her nails as she rallied her courage of admission. "I'm really sorry, Jackie. I don't want to fight with you. You're my best friend."

Jackie only blinked, causing Donna to shake her head in disbelief that she was actually having to have this conversation again.

"Look, Jackie. I know I should've kicked Hyde's ass when he returned from Vegas, but…" The raised, unimpressed eyebrows on Jackie's face made Donna shrug and drop her shoulders down in frustration. "You two were always fighting and breaking up. I just figured it was for the best. But… I care about _you_ , Jackie—about you and Hyde and even Jessica. But especially you. You have a good thing with Colin, and you're going to screw it up if you haven't already. You're not a cheater, Jackie."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "God, Donna. It's not like they have to find out what we did."

The red head nodded, completely agreeing. "No. I know. And I'm not going to tell them. But I really think you and Hyde should. It's only right, Jackie." Realizing that telling their significant others was the last thing those two would do, Donna shook her head. "I don't know. This is all just such a mess."

"Yeah," Jackie agreed. "It is. But it's _my_ mess. And it's none of your business. You can be a supportive friend or you can butt the hell out. But I'd much rather you be supportive because I'm really scared, Donna. I'm scared of losing Colin and now, I'm scared of losing that idiot, too," she admitted, pointing at Hyde, who was currently on top of Kelso, helping Eric force their friend's face into the dirt. "And I don't know what to do."

Unable to help it, Donna smiled. She was encouraged by Jackie's willingness to include her, for once. "We'll figure it out." She nodded and reached out to hug her friend tightly. "Just promise me you'll be careful, Jackie."

Unable to breathe, Jackie grunted. "You're squishing me, Donna, you behemoth."

* * *

One Hour Later

Silverweed Lake Campgrounds

A love-struck Romeo sings the streets a serenade  
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made  
Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade  
Says something like, "You and me, babe, how about it?"

On a settled piece of land—a grouping of camping pits abandoned for the season and situated only a few hundred yards from a moonlit lake—the gang sat staring into a crackling bonfire. Bright red and orange flames rose high and sparked as Kelso walked up and threw in another pile of kindling that he had gathered.

Everyone else watched in their pairs and listened to the van's radio as Brooke welcomed Kelso back beside her on a picnic bench.

Her head resting on his shoulder, Donna and Eric sat watching the fire from two foldable beach chairs. Everyone seemed to have something else on their minds. Occasionally, Donna would glance over at the back of the van, though, where Jackie lay resting between Hyde's legs. The doors were wide open, and Hyde was casually leaned up against the side with Jackie's back against his chest. They looked so high, but so comfortable in their drug-induced hazes, wrapped up together beneath a thick Rainbow Brite blanket.

"How's she doing?" Donna asked Hyde, who raised his cheek from Jackie's head to peer around and see her face.

"Hey," he whispered to Jackie. "You alright?"

The rest of the gang watched the starry-eyed brunette take her eyes off the night sky to lean her head back on Hyde's shoulder and gaze up at him instead.

"I feel weird," she responded quietly, stretching her neck. In front of everyone, her lips puckered for him, searching for a kiss. And he offered one, without any hesitation. He didn't give a crap about anybody else anymore. They all knew now. They all knew everything that lay over the surface, anyway, which was all they needed to know. The rest was none of their business. The things between he and Jackie belonged to them and them alone…

 _June 19, 1982_

 _1:07 AM_

 _The small TV flickered red, white, and blue as the American flag waved across the screen, perfectly in synch with the Star-Spangled Banner. There wasn't much left of his night with her. It was a fluke, a gift, maybe, given to a loser who didn't deserve one minute of it, a final chance to hold her, if only to remind himself of what he had given up for a month of great sex with a stripper—a stripper whose face he couldn't even remember._

 _But the loud-mouthed girl sleeping, tucked against him, he couldn't forget if he tried._

 _From where he lay, he could see the gash on her temple, clotted with a deep hue of crimson. So dark in its coloring that he knew it would scar. It was another reminder that he couldn't always be there to protect her. When he had let her go, he hadn't really thought of all the distant consequences that the betrayal would bring upon her. He had let her out into a world where fuckers hit and treated women like crap, especially women who were taught young not to expect much from men. He hadn't been perfect to her, but she had been safe with him._

" _Jackie," he whispered, nudging her lightly. "You should get in bed."_

" _Hm?" she moaned against his chest, stretching slightly before relaxing back into him again, her arms tucking tightly into an X between them as she snuggled in._

 _He held her for another moment and soaked it all in before letting go again. "I'm going to go, Jackie. He's not coming back tonight."_

 _There was no more noise from her, though. So, he nudged again and quickly gave up, realizing that, after the kind of night she'd had, she was better off asleep._

 _Slipping off the couch, Hyde stood and scooped her up, settling her into his arms. He moved quietly, quickly, and so gently that she barely stirred as he got her into her room and set her down on her bed, giving her forehead a light kiss._

" _Be careful out there, my Tangerine." With that, he walked out of her life for another two and half year cycle, the one that would matter most, though. The one that was going to, one day, actually count._

 _He wasn't sorry he'd asked her, he decided as he left, even though she'd told him no. She was right anyway. He screwed things up too badly and, besides, he was a little relieved that she had turned him down, now that he was sober. At this point in his life, he wasn't capable of being with her. Nor was she ready to forgive him. But he'd look out for her anyway, from a distance, until the day she didn't need him anymore, which, not surprisingly, turned out to be a lot sooner than expected…_

Resting his groggy head against hers, Hyde was starting to realize that this was all getting too real as the end of the week loomed. Almost everyone knew now. And he was really, possibly, about to break up with Jessica in a couple of days, which still bothered him. But what scared him more was the prospect of completely committing himself to Jackie. If she broke up with Colin for him, she was going to expect in return all the things that Colin offered her.

Marriage, kids, excellence, forever.

He wondered how in two weeks it had all come to this—how Leo ended up in a hospital bed, how his store wound up in shambles, how Jess had lost her position in his life, how Jackie ended up frying on acid and gazing at the stars from his lap. That part made him smirk. Still, though, the stress was making his throat dry, so he cleared it, startling the body against him for a moment. He needed a drink, he needed to lay off the drugs, and he needed some damn sleep.

But, for now, there was not much else to do but wait—wait for Jessica to come home, wait for that moment when he had to tell her that they were over, that an opportunity had presented itself that he couldn't let slip by, wait for Jackie to decide, to choose him over the million promises that Colin had made her, wait for her to crush him by saying no, wait for Friday. Just…wait.

"I'm cold, Steven," he heard come softly from between his arms.

Hyde closed his eyes. Things were moving in the bushes and in the trees, faces were laughing at him and he couldn't stop thinking. Burying his head in her hair, he squeezed tighter to keep her warm. These were some of the strangest days he'd ever known…

Feeling warmer, Jackie adjusted their blanket and looked up with her deceiving eyes. Thankfully, Hyde still looked like himself. She watched him turn his eyes to the sky, seeing what she was seeing. The branches of trees were entire kingdoms of people and plant life, moving all around them. The stars tonight looked like mischievous diamonds winking from the night sky. That warm feeling rising, Jackie hugged Hyde as hard as she could. She was in heaven.

On the crown of her head, she felt a kiss land. "Steven?" she asked, looking up and causing the whole group to look over at the broken silence.

"Huh?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

He nodded, taking notice of the watching eyes around them.

"Do you promise you'll answer?"

"What is it, Jackie?"

She paused, taking herself deep into thought before looking back up. "Do you love me?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22:** **A Brighter Discontent**

 **Music:**

 _Witchy Woman_ – The Eagles

 _I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues_ – Elton John

* * *

 _Donna stopped her forward-moving friend. She was following him like a puppy, the way she used to, like he was the only one on Earth who mattered. "No, no, no. Hyde's a big boy, Jackie."_

 _A pout came over the brunette as she turned to her oldest friend. "But Steven, he's…"_

" _No, Jackie. He and Eric will be back. I'll take care of you."_

" _But…" The confusion in her head was coming in thin slices. It wasn't that she couldn't think clearly. It was that she was too far deep in her own mind to accurately interpret all the outside stimulation that was entering her brain. And her vision was distracting the little bit that did make it through._

 _It was beautiful, though. For the most part. The world around her presented like a realist painting, the edges smudged just so. Just enough to make things pretty, rounding out the earth into a soft cottony canvas, full of rich color. Her favorite was the thick orange-red glow of their campfire. According to Hyde, she was safe from the bad things near those flames. And near him. He would keep them from her. He promised. He would keep the dark peaks of the trees away._

 _Jackie's bottom lip quivered. But now he was leaving her. And her giant-footed goon of a friend wouldn't let her follow. They were a team, she and he, and the woods would know when they parted. Things always got bad when they parted. It was only a matter of time before the darkness would sense that he was gone and come for her again. And Colin was so, so far away, too far away to help._

" _But Donna…" Jackie began to cry, yanking and twisting her bound hand desperately. "He can't leave me. Steven!" she screamed out to him. "Donna! Please!"_

 _The sober redhead sighed, finally seeming to feel some mercy for her distressed friend. "Damn it! Hyde! Get back here!"_

 _Twenty yards ahead, Hyde and Eric turned around as Jackie broke free from Donna's grasp and began to run._

 _Brooke stood up from her seat and walked over. "Donna, what are you doing? She can't go with them." Before Donna responded, though, both girls watched their friend jump into Hyde's arms and attack his mouth with a needy kiss, as if he'd been gone for a lifetime._

" _I know," Donna agreed quietly. "But she won't stop asking for him. And anyway, it was a bad idea to send those two dinks off by themselves. I'll just go with Eric and Hyde can stay here and watch her."_

" _Hyde can't watch anybody right now," Brooke reminded her._

" _Yeah, I know. But they were happy together. And quiet."_

" _Don't leave me," they heard Jackie pleading to him behind desperate kisses. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me…"_

" _Never," was his only response as he kissed back. "Never."_

 _Donna sighed and lowered her head. "Just sit them down and let 'em go at it. I give up…"_

 **Wednesday, November 14, 1984**

 **7:04 AM**

 **Silverweed Lake, Wisconsin**

Forced from sleep, Jackie's eyes snapped open when an earsplitting crack rippled through her body and violently shook the sky above her.

"Oh, man! Did you hear that one?!"

"No, Kelso. I missed it," she heard Hyde's sardonic, but sleepy, voice say from at least a few feet away. "What happened?"

"Well, there was just this monster thunder crash!"

Through her morning squint, Jackie watched a blurry Donna laugh. "I think he heard it, Kelso. He was being a smartass." The redhead turned to her side and faced Jackie. "Hey." She smiled. "You're awake."

"Yeah," Jackie groaned blearily, stretching her limbs. "Where's Steven?"

Rolling her eyes, the redhead tipped her head and aimed her sights behind Jackie's head, making the brunette turn.

And there her eyes found him, sitting in the front seat, his body pitched forward while blue eyes swept across a gray morning sky. It was dreary out, but brightly so. And freezing cold, Jackie realized as she began to feel the frosty air's effect on her skin. And while she watched him, hugging a blanket to herself, she wondered why he was so far away and not right beside her. How in the hell had _any_ of them gotten where they lay?

"So how are you feeling?"

"Huh?" Jackie looked back at Donna again and returned her head to the jacket functioning as her pillow. It was Hyde's. She could smell him all over it. Though, she couldn't remember how it got here. "Wait, what?"

Donna laughed. "Jackie. Are you alright? Are you feeling, okay?"

Unaware that Hyde was now watching her, Jackie shook her head. "Why are we in the stupid van still? Why aren't we home yet?"

"You don't remember?" Donna asked.

"Remember what?"

"Last night. It was late and all of you morons were high and Brooke and I didn't want to drive in the rain." Jackie shrugged, her eyebrows crinkling in confusion. "You don't remember the whole seat fiasco?"

Jackie pondered a moment. She didn't remember much at all about the night before, only a few glimpses of trees, and dancing, and kissing Hyde flickered weakly as memory. "No."

Donna sat up and glared straight into the crystal blue eyes of the guilty. "You idiot. Her brain's mush. You turned her into Leo."

"Crap." Upon the accusation, Hyde left his seat up front and trampled over the lumpy blanket that was Kelso and then more carefully over Brooke to the back seat, which was also laid flat for Jackie and Donna. "Hey." Sitting down, he directed Jackie to her back and studied her eyes with a grimace. "Are you alright?"

She frowned. "No. I mean, yeah, but…" Cutting off her words was another sharp thunder crash.

Donna flinched. "Jesus Christ."

"I think it's right over us," Brooke uttered quietly to Jackie's left. But the brunette didn't hear a thing. Her gaze froze solid on Hyde, who hovered curiously above her, and she quietly wished the rest of them away. She just wanted to sleep, wrapped up in him all snug and warm.

Jackie shrugged happily and a sudden desire to touch him made her hands rise to meet his cold cheeks. He looked exhausted, sick almost.

"Poor baby," Jackie cooed, raising her arms and cuffing them around his neck. Carefully, she brought his head down to rest on her shoulder while his body slowly followed, sinking his weight on her. She kissed his temple, expecting to feel warm skin. "God, you're freezing, Steven." Immediately, Jackie whipped her head right with a stern look. "Donna. Go sleep with Eric."

"What? No way. There are no blankets up there."

"Well, Steven's sleeping here with me."

"Jackie. There's no room."

"Then move your big bubble butt over, Donna."

Hyde smiled and raised his head. "Hey, there's no need to fight, girls. There's plenty of me to go around."

Jackie glared at him. "Steven. Shut it." She forced his head back down.

Kelso sat up. "Wait. Hyde's sleeping _here_ now? So, it's not gonna just be me and the three chicks anymore? Great. There goes my sexy sleepover. Thanks a lot, Hyde."

Hyde popped his head back up. "Would you shut up, Kelso?"

"You shut up."

"Alright, _everyone_ shut up," Brooke ordered, causing the van to go quiet. "Thank you."

"Hyde, you suck," Kelso muttered quietly.

Ignoring him, Jackie directed Hyde around to her side. "Lay down," she whispered with a smile and a tiny kiss for his lips. "We can play under the covers."

Hyde smirked.

"Ew! No, you cannot play under the freakin' covers, Jackie." Donna nudged the two bodies beside her. "Not with me under the same covers. Got it?"

"Too late, Donna," Kelso laughed. "I heard them doin' it last night right next to you."

"What!"

"Michael. Shut up. We did not do it." Jackie frowned and looked at Hyde. "Wait. Did we?"

Hyde shook his head. Fucked up as he was, he would have remembered that.

"Oh, oops. I must have been remembering the time I heard Jackie and _Fez_ _doing it_ _,"_ Kelso corrected himself.

Hyde sneered at that. "Fez?"

"Fez."

"You didn't nail Fez?" Hyde said, turning to Jackie. "Did you?"

"What? No. Michael." The brunette sat up slightly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just making sure Hyde knows where you've been since you guys broke up."

"Michael!"

"What, like Hyde was with better?" Brooke chimed in, laughing. "At least Fez didn't have to lace his morning coffee with antibiotics."

"No, I just like rubbing it in to Hyde that Jackie moved right to Fez after him. And that they _totally_ did it."

Jackie remained silent, wanting to kill her meddling ex-boyfriend.

"So, wait," Hyde looked at Jackie and grimaced. "You _did_ screw Fez? He told me you didn't."

Jackie's face flattened at the tone of his voice and at the revolted look on his face. He was judging her. "You know, it's none of your business whether I did or not." She motioned her hands between them " _We_ weren't together. Remember?"

Kelso's jaw dropped. "Oh, buuuuurn!"

"Oh, that's a yes," Eric shouted from up front, reaching his arm back for Kelso to slap.

"It is NOT a yes!"

Donna cringed. "She did _not_ have sex with Fez, you guys." Her expression changing, the redhead leaned forward. "Wait, did you?"

Jackie turned on her side. "Oh, my God."

"Michael," Brooke slapped him, flashing a knowing glare in his direction. "This isn't funny anymore. Knock it off."

"Fine." Kelso sighed. "I'm sorry you had sex with a foreigner, Jackie. Op, two foreigners!"

"You're lucky I can't reach your shins right now, Michael." Jackie shut her eyes and tucked her face into her pillow, breaking herself away from the look that Hyde was giving her. It was sobering, and damning, all at the same time. Like he was seeing her the way she was back then. Disgusting to him. And for a moment, that part of her returned. That girl who _felt_ disgusting. And so unbelievably unwanted.

Hyde was lingering, though, on the edge. She could sense his slow stagger. And she waited. But it was almost a minute later when he finally laid his head back down next to hers and draped his arm over her waist. It was then that Jackie realized she had been holding her breath for him, like a fool, and inhaled deeply.

She wanted to scream as the van turned quiet. She _was_ a fool.

Truth be told, she hadn't slept with Fez. Not because she hadn't wanted to, but because she had been waiting. Somewhere inside. For _him_. To come for her. And it wasn't until he had whispered a cruel goodbye into her ear at a birthday party, finally giving her the okay to let him go, that she was able to lend her body, what she had once promised to him forever, to another.

It had been on that night that she knew. He wasn't ever coming back. And she was free.

Snuggled against her, Hyde buried his face into her neck, hugging her close as he whispered the final word on the matter. "I don't care what happened. I still want you…"

* * *

 **A Couple of Hours Later**

 **Denny's – Somewhere in Wisconsin**

There was a loud squeal, a happy one, and Donna turned to see before stepping into the restaurant. Beneath the bright afternoon sky, Jackie was laughing inside Hyde's arms while the day's rain closed in around them.

It was an endearing scene. Donna could at least admit that to herself. They looked happy, as if they were living in the beginnings of some romantic, albeit twisted, movie. Her focus, however, was on Hyde. Well, on his smile mostly. He wasn't talking, only grinning like a fool as Jackie tried to hide from the rain against the shelter of his chest. Donna watched him shut his eyes as she hugged him tightly. He was happy, genuinely happy, despite the fact that he was, once again, destroying his life.

Donna frowned in curiosity as they headed toward the door where she stood. It was still bothering her, the whole situation. She had watched Hyde deteriorate after his wife left, attributing it to the fact that he was finally alone to deal with his mistakes. But Donna wasn't stupid; she knew why he had stayed with Samantha. The girl was his perfect excuse to not have to go back to Jackie. She had broken his heart. And he was done. He had even said so much, in his own subtle way. But in those years after, he had giving up caring about women. And to those unlucky enough to have him in those years, he was detached and merciless. He had lost his heart. And Donna blamed that fact on Jackie. She just couldn't help it.

"Hey. You coming inside or what?" Hyde asked Donna as the pair approached. Jackie, on the other hand, didn't say a word as she walked inside the restaurant without him.

Donna grabbed his hand before he could follow. "Hyde, wait." She finally had him alone. "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to have breakfast."

"Hyde. I'm being serious. What about Jess? Your girlfriend, _Jessica_." Donna let go of his hand. "What happened, Hyde? I mean, I thought you really liked…No. You know what. I thought you really loved her."

"I've already told you," Hyde responded, grabbing the restaurant door and swinging it open. "I don't love people."

Donna narrowed her eyes at him as he walked into the restaurant. "You're so full of shit, Hyde..."

Inside, Hyde took a seat near the window and unconsciously raised his hand out to Jackie as he grabbed a menu. Taking their own seats, the other two couples watched Jackie scoot in and tuck her body against his, laying her head down on his shoulder like she had a million times before. Together, they read the morning specials. And just like in those faraway days, the gang had gotten past the shock of it. Only uneasy looks and a few sighs were left to remind Jackie and Hyde that their infidelity was not going to be supported.

Not by these friends.

"What are you going to get?" Jackie asked Hyde.

"Pancakes."

She smiled. "Well, then I will, too."

"Oh, for God's sake," Donna grumbled. "Get a room."

"You're just jealous, Donna, because you and Eric haven't had sex in two months."

Eric's jaw dropped. "Donna!"

"Jackie!" Donna yelled.

"Oops." Jackie cringed and leaned closer toward Hyde. "Don't let her sit on me."

But Donna's scowl would not relent. "Why would you say that, Jackie? That was a private conversation."

"Because I'm pissed off at you."

"Why…What…Why are you mad at me now?"

"Wait…" Jackie looked around, searching for the answer. "Steven, why am I mad at her?" Hyde just shrugged, leaving Jackie to simply turn back to her friend. "I just am. I forget why. But I feel like it's for a really good reason."

Sitting across from her, Kelso raised his hand. "I remember why!"

"Really," Donna said, "Well, spill it, Kelso."

"Because you yelled at Jackie and Hyde last night when they were making out. Oh! Oh! And there was a huge fight over…uh…cats wearing clothes."

"No, Michael." Brooke slapped his arm. "That was us. Two days ago. Jackie's mad because Donna and I aren't letting either one of them forget that they are c _heating_ and that it's _wrong_."

Jackie's mouth fell open. "What. So, you're on her side now?" she asked Brooke.

"No," Brooke said. "I'm on your side. We both are. He…" She pointed at Hyde, "is going to break your heart again, Jackie. Because _that's_ what he does."

"Hey. Come on. Leave him alone," Eric chimed in. "They both screwed up."

Finally joining in on his own trial, Hyde slapped his menu down on the table. "Alright. Why doesn't _everyone_ just shut the hell up about what's mine and Jackie's business and order breakfast."

Donna started to open her mouth when Brooke beat her to it. "Because you weren't there, Hyde, when she would cry her eyes out over your dumb ass. You were too busy with your stripper wife. So, don't you dare include yourself in _her_ business."

The two held their strong gaze on each other. Hyde was shocked. He had no idea Brooke hated him so much. Though, it was clear that she was only defending her friend today, simply by the way her eyes softened slightly. But there was hate there. He could see it. It made him look away first while Jackie's arm slid away from his. He was amongst friends, his oldest, but on this morning, for the first time, he felt like an outsider. Women knew how to do that to him. It was what he hated about them. They were the only breed in the world that knew how to make him feel like genuine shit.

Eric offered the table a wry smile as he unfolded a napkin over his lap. "Well, this is going to be a pleasant breakfast."

Across the table, Jackie sighed. "I still want to know why I'm so mad at Donna..."

 _The Night Before_

 _She had smiled, and his blue eyes had smiled back. No matter how many miles had passed, it was still so surreal to be this close to him again._

 _And so, like a child, she laughed, closing her eyes at the elation. He was still so, so new to her heart, to her skin, her lips, and hands._

 _And, like a lover, she remembered. They had been young, dancing in a high school gym, just like this, while Elton's voice purred around them, fashioning into music those feelings that those first months together would bring._

 _And, like a warm blanket, the campfire flickered in his pupils. The effect being amazing, bringing heat to the cold blue ring of his eyes and to this chilly November night in his arms. So very far away from that dance._

 _And, like a memory, the cozy smell of wood burning made her press her chest and stomach harder against his. God help her. He felt so right, it almost hurt._

 _Jackie bit back her bottom lip to contain a smile as she reached up to touch his face._

" _They can't get to us if we're smiling."_

 _He raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Nope."_

 _Jackie beamed languidly. "Or if we're kissing."_

 _From there her heart tottered in anticipation, delighted when he leaned down, his eyes falling shut as his mouth opened and found hers. All this time… A small moan escaped at the zealous pressure of his kiss. All this time and his kiss still affected her heart. Like the moment before a long fall._

 _Drawn into the feeling, she wrapped her arms around his head, mashing her lips into his and stretching her tongue deeper into his mouth. She was struck with a strange sense of freedom when his body pitched forward and bent her spine back from the tight hold his arms had on her waist. Jackie smiled and let herself fall further backwards until her eyes reached the sky and his lips, the most tender parts of her neck. "God, Steven."_

" _Okay. I can't watch this anymore. Eric, just take Hyde with you to go find Kelso's keys. I'll stay with Jackie."_

" _Oh, thank God," Brooke cut in. "I just…I just can't help but feel so bad for Colin… Michael! Would you stop watching them like that?"_

" _What? I'm just…But look at them kiss. It's like one of my mom's soap operas."_

" _Michael!"_

" _Fine! God!"_

" _Jackie!"_

 _A hand yanked Jackie's shoulder backwards, forcing her to break her connection with Hyde and turn her head. It was Brooke, scowling with her hands on her hips. "What do you want, Brooke?" Hyde, though, was clueless to the intrusion and still suckling her neck as she waited for her friend to speak._

 _Indignant, Brooke dropped her hands to her sides. "Oh, my God. Go see Donna. She has something to tell you."_

 _Jackie frowned and shifted her attention back to Hyde, who only stared drowsily at her lips. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. And she found herself staring at his mouth, too, overwhelmed by the want she was feeling for him. "Don't move, baby…"_

* * *

 **Point Place, Wisconsin**

 **Donna and Eric's Apartment**

 **1:26 PM**

The caravan was finally home, back from their strange trip, and everyone quickly hopped out of the van. As they all scattered, though, barely speaking, Hyde stopped Eric and pulled him aside. "Hey, Forman. I need to ask you something."

"About what… Jackie?"

"Yeah." Temporarily relinquishing his cool, Hyde took a deep breath and shamefully locked his eyes on a car a few feet away. "I don't know what the hell to do, man."

"What. You mean…because of Jessica."

Hyde looked at friend, surprised at his perceptiveness. "Yeah." But it was cool. He wouldn't have to explain much. Hopefully. So, Hyde relaxed a little. "Jackie's driving me nuts, man. One minute she acts like everything's cool and she wants me, and the next she's all, ' _No, I can't_. _Blah, blah, blah Colin_."

Pensively, Eric nodded. "When does Jessica get home?"

"Friday night."

"What exactly are you asking me, man?"

Hyde swallowed and dropped his eyes to the ground. Here was the tough part for him. "Well…How the hell do I get Jackie to…you know…"

"Pick _you_?"

Hyde looked up again. "Yeah," he replied, while the thought of time, the way it was closing in on him, started to make him anxious. He brought his hand to the back of his neck and started to nervously rub. "I've done everything, Forman." He shook his head, disgusted with himself, and dropped his arm. "For the last two weeks, I've acted like a complete pussy."

Eric nodded. "Ah, yes. The pussification of man." He knew it well. "That's about the bottom of the barrel."

"Yeah, and she still won't give me an answer." Hyde watched, waiting as Eric touched his thumb and index finger to his chin.

"Well, I'm not going to pretend that I know much about Jackie's kind. And even though I'm pretty sure she's pure evil at her core, I'm going to assume that she has all the distinctive girl parts. Right? Breasts, soft skin, irrational reactions to gifts..." Hyde raised his eyebrows and waited. "Alright. Well, if you want my help, you're going to have to do exactly as I say. You're going to have to become…well, me."

Hyde started to laugh. "Man, why am I even asking you? You're always screwing things up with Donna."

"But I still _have_ Donna. Don't I?"

"Maybe," Hyde responded. "But you've never had _Jackie_."

"And thank God for that."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Look, man. My point is that Jackie's in a class all by herself. You have no idea, Forman. She's a pain in the ass and I don't think acting like you is going to help me with her. She'll see right through it."

"Yeah, and acting like _you_ got you real far."

"It got me her."

"It lost you her, too."

Accepting that truth, Hyde sighed and tossed his hand up for Eric to continue.

"Alright," Eric began. "It's really simple. Just put all your 'Hyde-ness" aside and make sure she knows that you want her and will do _anything_ to have her, even if that means becoming a pussy. That's what I would do. And then just give her time to think, man. She'll come around."

"But Jessica…"

Eric frowned. "Okay, so on Thursday night just tell her that you need to know by the next morning. Give her a deadline. Girls love deadlines."

Hyde grimaced. "What?"

"Yeah. It gives them something to strive for, you know?" Eric smiled. "Like a goal."

Hyde grimaced ten times worse than before. "Man, Forman. Why the hell do I even listen to you?"

A look of ambivalence accompanied the thinner man's raised eyebrows. "Because I'm the Formanator when it comes to chicks. I never give up."

Hyde's face ran flat. "You know, I would kick your ass for saying that if I wasn't so tired." He scoffed, shaking his head, and headed for his car as Eric smiled proudly to himself.

"The Formanator… It'll catch on…"

* * *

 **Fifteen Minutes Later**

 **Hyde's Apartment**

Hyde turned the key to his door and pushed it wide open. With a swagger, Jackie entered his apartment. He followed, watching her ass sway before she turned her head and smiled. "Finally," she sighed, letting her body fall onto his couch. "Alone."

Making a beeline for the very spot that held her, Hyde smiled back and slipped off his coat, dropping it to the floor. He plopped down next to her and leaned in for a kiss. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Mm…Just sit with you," she said, wrapping her arms around his.

"Cool." Hyde yawned, never so relieved to dodge sex. He was exhausted. And so was she; he could tell by the fact that her mouth wasn't running. And she looked it. Hyde reached over and grabbed his remote. "You want to watch TV?"

"Whatever."

Hyde stopped at his new favorite channel since getting cable: MTV. He dropped the remote in his lap and settled deep into his couch, getting comfortable as Jackie put her head on his shoulder.

"Is this how it would be?" Jackie asked him quietly. "Like this?"

"Something like it, yeah."

"Do you remember how bored we would get in Eric's basement when everyone was gone? Especially when we were finished doing it and there would be nothing else to do."

"Yeah," Hyde chuckled weakly. "I remember."

"But even with nothing to do, just sitting there, playing chess or making fun of Eric and Donna's relationship, I still would rather be with you. Bored out of our minds."

"That's 'cause I'm cooler than everyone else."

"Yeah," she said, running her fingernails up his arm. She watched the way her fingernails left little raised bumps on his flesh. "Hey, Steven. Do you remember last night?"

He frowned. "Most of it. Why? You still can't remember?"

"No, I remember stuff. But it's like in pieces." Jackie frowned. "I remember you yelling my name. But I can't remember why. What happened?"

Hyde raised an eyebrow. "Uh." He cleared his throat. "Well. You were dancing with Kelso right next to the fire and…"

 _The Night Before_

Raven hair and ruby lips  
Sparks fly from her finger tips  
Echoed voices in the night  
She's a restless spirit on an endless flight

 _What he didn't mention was that she was watching him lewdly as she danced and freaking him the hell out. The dark orange glow from the flames had shone on her face from below, nearly demonizing her typically angelic features. From there, his own lascivious eyes traced the curviest lines of her contour down to where her body rolled and twisted for him, her dark hair dipping low as she arched her back and made her hands billow toward the night sky like smoke. And that was when he knew. She had to be evil. Had to be._

 _For it was all becoming so clear. That Forman had been right all along._

 _The girl was a she-devil. The most wicked that Hades had to offer._

 _Hyde blinked several times, trying to coax himself out of his delusion. He didn't like it. Everything felt dark, and inescapable. She was bewitching him, hypnotic as she tongued the sky and laughed, howling at the moon like a hound from hell. Behind her, Kelso gripped her gyrating hips and grinded against her, smirking at Hyde as he did._

 _Hyde's jaw clenched._

 _She knew what she was doing to him—they both did—making him want her, making him drunk with a perverted sort of desire, yet jealous at the same time. It was all so twisted. And he found himself filled with a sick fascination, attracted to the fact that she was taunting him with his best friend, her ex, and the scapegoat for all their failures._

 _Hyde shut his eyes. It wasn't real._

 _Shaking his head, he willed himself to sober up and placed his palms over his possessed pupils. They were interpreting things wrong. Sending him straight to his own version of Hell. She wasn't evil. It wasn't the girl. It was the drug, the fire. She wouldn't betray him, not again._

Woohoo, witchy woman  
See how high she flies  
Woohoo, witchy woman  
She got the moon in her eye

 _Hyde heard her laugh again and shut his eyes tighter to the trip. This was bad. He wanted out._

" _Jackie!" he yelled angrily, his eyes still shut behind his balled fists. "Jackie!"_

" _Hyde, are you alright?"_

 _It was Donna. And within seconds he felt her breeze cool his left arm as she rushed to his side. "Hyde?"_

" _Where's Jackie?"_

" _Steven. I'm right here." She was close, and short of breath. Hyde dropped his hands—the campfire blinding him momentarily—and looked to his right to see a blurry, but jovial, smile. The firelight was now level with her features and she was back. No longer tormenting him._

 _Only slightly comforted, Hyde lips fell into a horrified pout. "I don't think I like this stuff."_

" _Oh, baby…"_

Jackie frowned. "OK, so I sat down next to you and then what?"

"Huh? Oh. Well..." Hyde looked up at her. "You hugged me."

"And then?"

"And then…I kissed you."

Jackie smiled, tilting her head. She looked him up and down before giving his lips a kiss. "I'm going to go take a shower and brush my teeth, and so are you, and then…we're going to hang out. Just you and me." She ran a finger down the middle of chest. "It's our last night together."

"I know," he acknowledged. "It doesn't have to be."

"I know," she said, giving him one more peck before skipping off to take a shower, leaving him to wonder just what the hell was going on in that cheerleader brain of hers. Evil. Pure evil...

* * *

One Hour Later

Clean, Jackie wiggled and beamed brightly as she walked past Hyde. He was back on the couch, watching MTV and sneering as an Elton John video began to play. And as he reached for the remote, Jackie pointed at him. "Don't' you dare. I like this song."

Annoyed, Hyde dropped the remote and sighed.

 _Don't wish it away  
Don't look at it like it's forever..._

"Steven," Jackie called, rocking her hips to the music. "Steee-ven." From the couch, Hyde watched. She was still amazing, albeit dressed in thick flannel jammies, but still moving her young body for him. He should've been all over her, pouncing like a hungry animal and ripping those jammies to shreds. But his own body was exhausted and only his mind and heart remained.

Cheeks flushed, she began to slip button after button through the small holes in her top. And after almost nine years, clarity finally found him. He didn't deserve this girl's attention. The way he had treated her over the years, and she was still here, smiling at him with so much light in her eyes. It was unreal…

* * *

 **…Minneapolis, Minnesota…**

 _And while I'm away  
Dust out the demons inside_

Bored, Jessica placed her cheek in her palm and rolled her eyes. All around her, a dozen expensive suits droned on about advertising specs and viewer demographics. A coffee machine steamed in the corner while a dozen croissants slowly turned stale.

A million miles away in thought, Jessica closed her eyes.

She wanted to care, wanted to succeed, especially with her father always watching her like a hawk. But this just wasn't her scene. And as much as her father tried, he just couldn't draw her into his frosty world. She was happier in her warm little town, with her incredible man, doing what normal people like to do.

 _"Jessica."_

A dreamy smile accompanied an image of him. Of Hyde, looking down at her while a white sheet floated down behind him. She remembered giggling at the grin on his face. Missing him was proving to be a stronger pang than she had assumed it would be. But she just couldn't shake the thought of him. Nor did she ever want to.

 _"Jessica!"_

Jessica's eyes snapped wide open. "Huh…"

 _And I guess that's why they call it the blues  
Time on my hands could be time spent with you_

* * *

 **…Point Place, Wisconsin…**

"Christ, Jackie…" Practically debilitated, Hyde groaned and shut his eyes, temporarily stumbling as Jackie fastened her warm, wet mouth to his ear. "Ohhh, fuck." His hand fell to the hallway wall beside him. He knew his gait wasn't that steady with her in his arms and all he wanted to do was get her to his bed and lay her down. But she kept distracting him, leaving breathy moans in his ear and open-mouthed kisses all over his neck.

She was topless and her hips were rolling in his arms, grinding that warm place between her thighs flush against his hardening shaft, and it was about as much as he could take. Impatiently, Hyde turned his head, seeking her mouth, and slid his tongue between her lips to force a brutal kiss.

"God…" Abruptly, Hyde pulled away and scowled at her. "Wait. No! Bad girl! Behave until I get to the room!"

At his command, Jackie's narrowed eyes only danced eagerly between his, more encouraged than ever. And in a surprise attack, she lunged forward, seizing Hyde's mouth forcefully and causing them to both tumble to the floor.

 _And I guess that's why they call it the blues..._

* * *

 **…New York, New York…**

 _Just stare into space  
Picture my face in your hands_

 _Live for each second without hesitation  
And never forget I'm your man_

It was sunny in New York City on this Wednesday afternoon. The air was cold. But the sun shone like a new day as Colin walked along the bustling sidewalk of 57th street. People were everywhere, and between his fingers a diamond sparkled.

"I can't believe you're quitting," his friend Adam groused as they walked. "This is complete shit! Who the hell am I going to room with now? Carlisle?" He scoffed. "You could've warned me."

"Hey. I just decided, alright." Placing the ring back in its box, Colin looked up in time to see a young couple walk by. The woman was a brunette, petite like his girl, but nowhere near as beautiful. "She's all that matters."

Disgusted, Adam shook his head. "How much did that thing cost anyway? Let me have it." He reached out, only to have Colin to shove his arm away.

"Back off. I don't know where that hand has been…And it was six thousand." Colin smiled at the velvet box in the palm of his hand. "She's going to go nuts when she's sees it."

"Six fucking...Are you sure this girl is worth six grand?"

At the insult, Colin punched his oldest friend hard in his arm. "Yes…"

 _Wait on me, girl  
Cry in the night if it helps..._

* * *

 **…Point Place, Wisconsin…**

 _Laughing like children, living like lovers_

 _Rolling like thunder, under the covers_

Lost in the momentum of their excited state, Jackie laughed against Hyde's smirking lips, leaning forward as he backed away and stood at the foot of his bed to whip off his shirt. Before the garment could even hit the floor, though, he had pounced again, pushing her to her back as his mouth zeroed in on the edge of her throat and sent her into a giggling fit.

"Ah! Ste-e-ven!"

And in one half-mooned tumble, Jackie found herself on top, straddling and kissing him wildly. They were surrounded by sheets. Blankets were plentiful. Clothing was strewn all over the floor and the music wailed on as Jackie and Hyde tried so hard not to smile. It was hard to kiss when you couldn't shake off the bliss, even for a second. They rolled again until Hyde was back on top; pushing his body into hers and marking a goose bump trail with his lips across her skin.

From her position beneath him, Jackie watched with elated eyes as Hyde abruptly sat up and reached his arms back. She had no idea what he was up to. But when he threw his hands toward the ceiling, bringing with them a thin white sheet, she knew. He was being playful… like when they were young. And Jackie beamed as it floated down around them, making them disappear beneath it as Hyde reclaimed her mouth.

 _And I guess that's why they call it the blues…_

… _The Night Before…_

 _The fire had been roaring, moving and forming pictures right in the middle of the molten masterpiece that they had built for themselves. In front of it, Kelso, Eric, and Hyde, with Jackie seated between his legs, all sat on the ground in a horseshoe pattern, musing over the blazing show. A sharp pop marked the broken silence as Kelso opened his mouth. "Why do people kiss, do you think?"_

 _Hyde sneered and peered over. "Because it feels good, you moron."_

" _Well, yeah, Hyde. Duh. But I mean," Kelso smiled. "What made the cave people, hundreds of years ago, want to stick their tongues down other people's throats." He laughed. "It's just weird!"_

 _Disgusted at the thought, Jackie grimaced. "Yeah, and there was no toothpaste or tic-tacs or anything back then. It's kind of sick if you think about it."_

 _Nodding, Hyde raised an eyebrow as he stared into the fire. "One time, I was watching this PBS special and it said that, deep down, people are cannibals and we kiss because we secretly want to eat each other."_

 _Jackie leaned back to see his face. "Well I don't want to eat you."_

" _Well, I can't say the same, sweetheart."_

 _Jackie touched her hand to her heart and looked around, quickly bringing her adoring pout back to Hyde. "Oh, Steven." Completely enamored, she had kissed him right then. She remembered bringing her hand to his head and pulling it closer to make their mouths connect as deeply as humanly possible. And the act of kissing, itself, now seemed strange to her as they both puckered and pressed their lips together over and over. They touched tongues between each peck and knew exactly when to turn, just how widely to open their mouths and how deeply to penetrate each other. It was like an orchestrated dance, kissing, so perfectly in sync._

 _Suddenly scowling, Hyde pulled away and looked to his right. "Hey, Kelso. Do you mind?"_

 _The goof's face was little more than a foot away, mouth agape, tongue protruding slightly, from watching Jackie and Hyde kiss. "Not at all. Go ahead."_

 _Hyde punched him the arm. "Man. Get the hell out of here!" He sat back and rolled his eyes as Jackie settled back between his legs. "So," Hyde said, glancing over at the one who had remained silent on the kissing issue. "What do you think, Forman? You're being quiet."_

" _I think that tree is staring at me."_

 _Jackie gasped. "It was staring at me earlier." Eyes widening, Eric looked over at his would-be nemesis. If he had ever had the energy to have one._

" _Has it said anything to you?"_

 _Jackie shook her head. "Uh-uh. You?"_

" _No. But it's freaking me out, man. I have to go pee."_

 _They all sat quietly for a minute until Jackie realized something. "Well, now so do I," she began to whine. "Steven."_

" _What?"_

" _How are we going to pee? These stupid trees are alive and staring at us with their beady, red eyes." She pointed up. "See. Look up top, in the dark parts. Do you see them?"_

 _Eric scooted closer to Jackie. He nodded at the brunette. "I see them."_

" _Steven," Jackie whined further._

" _You're both being babies. It's not as if the trees can move," Hyde reasoned. "They're stuck in the ground. So even if they wanted to eat you whole, they couldn't."_

 _Obviously afraid, Eric scooted a little closer to Jackie until she put her left arm around him as all eyes scanned the forest around them. "Why would they want to eat us whole?" Eric asked._

" _For fuel," Kelso chimed in._

" _No," Hyde countered. "Because, unlike us, they're not cannibals. They eat other things…like people."_

" _Ohhh my God," Eric muttered._

 _Jackie gasped yet again. "And they don't like to kiss. It all makes sense now."_

 _Hyde nodded. "See. But you're safe. See, because while the trees are eating Kelso's big, fat head, the rest of us can make a run for it." At that, Kelso's face fell and he scooted a little closer to his friends. "Besides, everyone knows that trees hate fire. So, if you stick by the fire..." Hyde tucked his chin over her right shoulder and hugged her tightly. "You'll be fine."_

 _Kelso nodded. "That's true. I burned one down once and I swear I heard it screaming. True story."_

 _Raising her arm, Jackie brought her hand to the nape of Hyde's neck and looked back. "You promise to keep them away from me?"_

 _Hyde nodded surely, and she kissed him in gratitude._

" _Uh, excuse me," Donna's voice cut in. "Could you not make-out with Jessica's boyfriend while hugging mine? God, Jackie. Find your own man."_

 _Jackie broke from the kiss and looked at Eric while simultaneously letting go of him. She looked at Donna. "I wasn't…Donna, why would you say that?" She laughed nervously, frowning when it really hit her. "Wait, you think I'm hitting on your stupid boyfriend?"_

 _Her arms folded, Donna leaned forward. "I'm just saying."_

" _You're just saying what?"_

" _That maybe you should be thinking about the fact that you're tonguing someone else's boyfriend, Jackie."_

 _The brunette pointed angrily at her taller friend. "I knew it!"_

" _You knew what?!"_

" _You're on Jessica's side!"_

" _Well maybe I am," Donna admitted. "And if Jessica were screwing Colin, Jackie, I would be on yours."_

" _It's not supposed to matter, Donna. You're supposed to be MY friend." Jackie closed her eyes and just…started to cry. It felt like it was coming from out of nowhere, but, in reality, it was from the endless buildup of betrayals. "I don't like this stuff," she said referring to the acid. "I don't, I don't, I don't…"_

" _Hey, hey, hey," Hyde grabbed her head, trying to get her to look at him. But Jackie wouldn't look. She would only sob. Hyde turned to Donna. "Hey, man, why don't you give her a fuckin' break? And shut the hell up already about Jessica. You want to yell at someone, yell at me."_

" _I couldn't agree with that more," Brooke said from behind Donna. "He's the one you should be yelling at. He's the cheater."_

 _Donna took a step forward, ignoring them both and wearing an apologetic look. "Jackie. Come on. I'm…God. Don't cry. Please, I'm sorry. I didn't…I didn't mean it like that."_

 _A few feet away, Kelso watched Jackie cry and almost felt like crying, too. Maybe it was the drug or the fact that he never liked to see a girl cry, especially this one. But he just couldn't help himself. "Hey, Jackie," he said soothingly, crawling toward her. "Oh, sweet pea, don't cry." He hugged her, pulling her from Hyde's arms before squarely grabbing her shoulders to look at her. He smiled. "You want to dance? Like we used to."_

 _The brunette smiled. Michael was such a good friend sometimes. "Yeah," she nodded, taking his hand and laughing as he tossed his car keys in his excitement._

" _Wahoo!"_

" _Kelso!"_

Closing his eyes, Hyde dragged his cheek along the slight curves of Jackie's bare torso, right to the spot where her stomach met her ribs, reveling in how incredibly soft she was. How smooth and warm. Bringing his lips to her skin, he pressed a kiss deep into her flesh but soon turned to rest on his forehead. He was trying so hard, maybe too hard, to escape the dull throb in his head, distracting himself with her body. But it wasn't helping, even though she was the only place he wanted to be. The whole house felt so damn icy, and only next to her did any heat seem to exist for him.

Jackie slipped her fingers into his hair to scratch lightly at his scalp. "Steven. Baby, are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."

"We don't have to do this right now. We can just lie down and cuddle." Jackie smiled brightly at the idea of it. "And watch TV all snuggled up and cozy."

Bemused by her suggestion, Hyde looked up. "No. I'm fine. I…"

Jackie's lips pursed. "You don't feel good, Steven. You mule. Now c'mere." Insistently, she pulled him further up her body and coaxed him to her side. "Now look, you. Stop acting all macho man on me. I don't care if we don't do it. And…" A sultry smile washed over her face. "You know, I have many talents besides just being a Goddess in the bedroom. I'm probably really good at taking care of people when they don't feel good. So just let me, OK?"

A little surprised by her statement, Hyde raised his eyebrows. "Jackie, I'm…"

Her brow furrowed. "Say you're fine again, Steven, and I'm going to smack you. You look exhausted." Knowing all too well that she wasn't kidding, Hyde relented and relaxed his head on her arm, closing his eyes immediately. "Oh, Steven." Jackie kissed his forehead and placed her cheek against it. "You listened…"

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

 **Thursday, November 15, 1984**

Jackie's eyelids slowly lifted. She had been dreaming. Floating through a pale blue sky, searching the earth for the white dove whose feathers had been stolen. And right before she woke, Colin had come to her and smiled. He told her that _she_ was the dove. And that her feathers would grow back soon, to stop searching.

Still tucked in up to her nose beneath Hyde's covers, Jackie looked around. The room was a dusky dark blue while, outside, a cold rain poured. And beside her, the clock said it was nine o'clock in the morning. Time to rise. Beside her, Hyde still slept. He had fallen asleep in her arms by 7 PM after refusing dinner. He had been complaining of a headache and had barely spoken the entire night.

Jackie rolled to her side and pulled back the covers to reveal his flushed face. "Steven." She smiled. "Time to wake up."

Wiggling herself a little closer, she draped an arm over him and snuggled up. She noticed immediately, though, that he was hot; she assumed from sleep at first. "Steven?" Frowning, she touched her hand to his cheek and gasped, pulling her hand away quickly. His skin was blazing. Almost too hot to touch.

A panic washed over her as she sat up and pulled back his covers, exposing his reddened, bare torso. "Steven, wake up," she insisted, beginning to shake him. "Steven!" Placing her palms on his back, Jackie soon realized that the trunk of his body was scalding hot, even more so than his head. "Oh my God. Steven. You need to wake up right now."

His eyebrows creased, making Jackie close her eyes briefly in relief before leaning down. "Oh, thank God. Steven, open your eyes."

Hyde tried to open them and immediately brought his hands to his face, a sharp sound gurgling up from his throat.

"Steven. What's wrong?"

Rolling onto his back, Hyde moaned again in a manner she had never heard before. Not from him anyway. This wasn't the moan he made when she did naughty things to him. Or when she kissed him deep and hard. This was one of pain.

"Steven, answer me. Tell me what to do."

"Jackie…Just…Shut up for a second." He squeezed his eyes shut, hugging his own head as if he were about to cry or scream out in pain or both. "God damn it."

All she could do was watch him and wait, left to simply rub his tummy. "Steven," she said quietly. "What hurts?"

"My whole head. My throat. My ears. Fuck. My... I…"

"I think you have a really bad fever, Steven. Your skin is so hot."

"It's not hot," Hyde pulled his knees up and ran his hand behind himself, searching for the blanket she had taken away. "It's freezing in here."

Jackie lay down beside him, positioning herself for pillow talk as her fingers traced down the side contour of his face. "No, baby. It's not. I turned the heat up last night. It's nice in here." They watched each other for a moment while she searched for the usual cues, telling her that he was strong and in control. That she need not worry about him. But all she saw was a strange sadness from his eyes. They were watery and glazed over, the blue faded into gray. He blinked slowly, swallowing painfully as he did. It was the first time she had ever seen him not completely exude strength and confidence. Instead, he looked delirious and like he was being slowly chewed up from the inside out.

But worst of all, she had never felt another human being's skin burn like it was literally on fire. Hyde winced in pain again, and Jackie sat up.

"I'm calling Mrs. Foreman." She expected him to protest but no such sound left him. He only closed his eyes and brought his knees to his chest as she covered him back up with the blankets. "I'll be right back," she whispered, kissing his scorching forehead before running out of his room and picking up the kitchen phone.

 _"Hello."_

"Mrs. Forman! It's Jackie."

 _"Well, hello, Jackie. I haven't heard from you in a while. How are you?"_

"I'm at Steven's. He's really sick."

 _"I'll be right there…"_

* * *

Fourteen Minutes Later

With Jackie trailing close behind, Kitty headed straight into Hyde's bedroom. "How long has he had the fever?"

"I don't know. I just woke up, and he was like that."

The first thing the nurse and mother of two did was drop her purse onto the bed and reach for her adoptive son's forehead. "Jackie. In the front pocket of my purse is a thermometer wrapped in a little package and a bottle of Motrin. Grab them."

"OK." Quickly, Jackie searched as Kitty sat down and ran her hand over Hyde's head. "Steven, honey. Wake up. We need to get you cooled down."

Noticing that he looked even worse than before, and was now curled into a ball on his side, Jackie handed Kitty the items. "He's really warm, isn't he?"

Kitty nodded and pulled the thermometer from its packaging, carefully slipping it between Hyde's lips and beneath his tongue as she glanced at her watch. "Honey," she called to Jackie. "Go see if he has any ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables in his freezer."

"Mrs. Forman, what's wrong with him? I've never seen him like this."

"Well, that's what we're going to find out." Kitty shooed the brunette away. "Now go on. Hurry."

Jackie took off running. When she got to his freezer, she was relieved to find two frozen bags of green beans and one of sliced carrots.

"Here!" A moment later, Jackie held them out to Kitty. But the older woman had her fingers against Hyde's eyelids, spreading them apart to examine his dilated pupils.

She glanced at Jackie. "Put one against each of his armpits and one against his groin."

"Huh?" Jackie shook her head. "Oh, no. I can't…"

"Jacqueline Burkhart. You'll do as I say."

Jackie quickly did as Kitty said, placing two bags beneath his arms and cringing when Hyde frowned at the frozen carrots being placed on his boxer shorts.

"Inside, Jackie."

"Oh, no. It's too cold, Mrs. Forman. And Steven doesn't like food near his…" Upon the older woman's sharp look, Jackie raised her hands in defeat and, again, did as she was told. "I am so sorry, Steven," she whispered, lifted the waist band of his boxers, and slipped the large, icy bag inside. To her surprise, though, he didn't yell. He only grimaced and haphazardly tried to pull it out, his eyes still closed.

"No. No," Kitty stopped him, pushing his hands to his chest. "Jackie, keep his hands away."

Surrendering complete control to Mrs. Foreman, Jackie simply slid her hands up the sheets and lowered herself down beside him, pressing his arms to his chest for him as the older woman minded her watch. All that was left to do was study his features while her heart conceded to him. Fighting it anymore was futile. She cared so much about him. She always had. Even when he was kissing his wife in front of her. Even when he was playing his cruel games and breaking her heart. She'd cared.

Gently, Jackie squeezed his wrists and crossed them as she leaned forward to give him a light kiss on his lips. "I'm here, baby."

"And may I ask _why_ you're here, young lady," Kitty asked her gently, never taking her eyes off the timepiece in her palm. "I see you two didn't take my advice."

"No, I guess we didn't, Mrs. Forman."

Kitty raised her eyebrows, unwilling to let either of them off the hook so easily. "Do Jessica and that nice young man you're dating know what you two have been up to?"

"No," Jackie answered in shame the moment Kitty reached between them to draw the thermometer from his mouth.

Jackie looked up in time to witness Kitty's face fall. "Jackie. Help me get him up."

"What's wrong?"

"We need to get him in the tub." Within seconds, the older woman had his blankets cleared and was at his side, ready to push. "Steven, honey. Wake up. You're a big boy and we can't lift you."

"Mrs. Forman, what's wrong," Jackie repeated more forcefully, sitting up. "What did it say? What's his temperature?"

"105.3."

"Oh my God." Quickly, the two small women pushed him into a sitting position.

Immediately, Hyde opened his eyes as Kitty leaned down. "Steven. I need you to walk to the bathroom on your own, okay?" He nodded and raised his arms to put them over the two girls' shoulders, causing the frozen bags of green beans to fall to his side.

His face scrunched in confusion. "What the hell are you two doin' to me?"

"Never mind that," Kitty answered and took Hyde's left arm as Jackie took his right. Both women forced him to his feet. "Can you walk?"

"I'm fine. What are you…" Hyde stood and squeezed his eyes shut tight, dropping back onto the bed and hugging his head in pain. "Fuck."

As concern hit her, Jackie squatted between his knees and looked up. "Mrs. Forman…"

"What hurts, Steven?" the older woman asked.

"My head. My throat. My ears."

Kitty nodded at the small brunette who sat at his feet. "I'll bet he has a deep infection in both ears. That'll just wipe even the strongest boy right out. Poor baby came over last week soaked from the rain." Kissing his head, Kitty smiled. "And it would explain the fever."

"Oh, and he got into a fight in the rain," Jackie added. "And the jerk punched him right in the ear, too."

Kitty frowned. "Oh my." Jackie nodded, leading Kitty to hug Hyde's head as she rocked him slowly. "Well, that's probably what did it. Oh…My poor, sick little guy."

Jackie smiled. "Well so he's going to be okay then? Shouldn't we take him to the hospital, though?"

Opening his eyes again, Hyde scowled deeply. "No. No. No. No hospitals. I'm fine."

"Well, no," Kitty argued. "You're not fine, Steven. We need to get this fever down." Grabbing Hyde's arm, she glanced up at Jackie. "I'll just call Dr Tompkins and get him to fill Steven a few prescriptions. He owes me." She shifted her attention back down to Hyde. "Now come on, Steven. Stand up, more slowly this time."

"I don't need to stand up," Hyde groused angrily, locking his arms and hunkering down. "I'll be fine if you two would just leave me alone and let me lay down."

Kitty shook her head and maintained her motherly tone. "No, sir. We will not leave you alone. We need to get you into a cool bath. Now stand up and stop being so stubborn."

"No baths," he refused.

"See!" Jackie tossed up her hand. "He has _always_ been this stubborn, Mrs. Forman. It's why we were always breaking up."

"Oh, I know he is," Kitty agreed. "He's just like Red. Stubborn as a mule. Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn…"

"Really stubborn…"

"Alright, fine," Hyde barked. "I'll stand up if you two will just stop saying 'stubborn."

The two women shared a secret smile as they helped Hyde slowly get back to his feet. Once there, Jackie took his hand and walked him toward bathroom while Kitty ran on ahead to draw his bath water.

"I don't take baths," Hyde grumbled to Jackie.

"Well, you do today, Steven. So, keep walking."

With each step his head began to pound more. His ears, especially his left, felt like someone was piercing through to his brain with an ice pick. But inside of his hand was Jackie's, pulling him to keep going. All that was left to do was close his eyes and follow. And when they reached his bathroom, he heard the water running and looked up. "Mrs. Forman, can Jackie…"

"I'm leaving," she smiled. "I don't expect you want to take a bath in front of your mother." Hyde smiled weakly as she kissed his cheek and directed him to sit on the toilet before heading for the door. "I'm going to call the doctor and go pick up some antibiotics and pain medication from the pharmacy. Jackie will take care of you." She turned around and looked at Jackie. "OK, and Jackie. Don't let any water get in his ears. Also, he's lucid right now but keep in mind that if that fever doesn't come down soon, he could go into convulsions. So be careful while he's in the tub. No leaving him alone."

"Oh, my God. I won't, Mrs. Forman." Jackie knelt down to feel the tub water, taking keen notice of the pain that worried Hyde's face. "Hurry, though..."

* * *

Several Minutes Later

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait," Hyde straightened his back and stiffened his arms as Jackie tried to push his body forward. "No! It's too freakin' cold, Jackie!"

"Steven! Get in, right now!"

"I took the aspirin. It'll go down!"

"It's not that cold," she argued back. "It's room temperature."

"Uh-uh! Screw you! That's not room temperature!"

Jackie let go of him and stepped back. "Well, that's how Mrs. Forman wanted it!" She sighed. "Steven. Look. It won't be that bad. I promise."

"Really?" Hyde folded his arms from his seat, still clad in his boxer shorts. "Then you get in."

Jackie raised her eyebrows. "Fine," she said, the inflection in her voice rising, and began to undo the button on her pants.

Hyde's face fell. He hadn't expected her to say that. "Wait. What are you doing?"

"Well, I can't get into the tub with jeans on." Jackie slid her pants down her legs and stepped out of them, watching Hyde as she did. He still looked so sick. And his cheeks were still so beet red. But he looked stunned at the same time. Like he was waiting for her to abandon the joke at any moment. Instead, she simply walked over to the door and locked it shut. His eyes followed.

Upon her return to the tub, Jackie removed the t-shirt she was wearing and, donning only her panties, stepped into the tub, hiding her gasp. The water was just below tepid, but felt chilly on her exposed skin.

Quickly, though, Jackie faked a smile. "See. It's fine." Watching him watch her, she slowly lowered herself down, feigning comfort for his benefit. But as the cold waterline rose up her body, she began to visibly shake. "Come on, Steven. It's nice and warm."

From his seat, Hyde watched her body shiver for him. The water around her trembled. And he closed his eyes. "Damn it." She was forcing him in with kindness. And he knew that his body was on fire and probably the only thing that could warm her in that bitter water. So, Hyde stood, grumbling as he stepped into his tub. "Crap, Jackie; it's cold," he complained and kneeled down between her knees, gritting his teeth through the sting.

With a pout, Jackie reached out to him. "Come here, Steven. Sit with me," she stammered, the cold water causing tremors throughout her torso and making her teeth chatter while her lips turned a bubble-gum-ice-cream shade of blue.

Jackie leaned back against the tub as Hyde quickly brought his body down over hers and rested his head against her bare breasts.

"Oh…" Relieved from the intense heat of his skin, Jackie shut her eyes and sighed. "My God, Steven, you're so warm." She wrapped her legs around him and hugged him tight, beginning to rock him in the same, rhythmic sway that Mrs. Forman had used only minutes before. Neither knew much about comforting the ill, and neither had been much comforted _while_ ill, but this seemed about right. "You'll be fine," she whispered. "You'll be fine."

* * *

One Hour Later

His head sideways on a pillow, Hyde squished his face up as a cold drop trickled down into the deepest crevices of his ear. "I don't like it, Mrs. Forman."

"Well, nobody cares if you like it, Steven. It's happening every four hours either way." Kitty twisted the cap back on the small bottle and handed it to Jackie, who sat on the couch at Hyde's feet. "That one every four hours in both ears. The antibiotic every eight. And the Percocet every six for the pain."

Jackie nodded. "Got it."

Kitty grabbed her purse and kissed Hyde's head. "Now, I have to go. But I'll be back later with some of my special chicken soup for sick boys." She smiled giddily and headed for the door. "Oh, and Jackie…"

"Huh?"

"Can I talk to you a minute outside?"

"Yeah, sure." The two women stepped out into the hall and shut the door. "What is it, Mrs. Forman?" Jackie asked, half positive she knew the answer.

Kitty smiled. "You're a good girl, Jackie. And I know you've always loved Steven. And I was really disappointed when you two broke up. He loved you. He just…Well, he's Steven and he doesn't know how to express those types of feelings. But he has done so well with Jessica. He was an absolute wreck before she came along, and…"

Jackie's shoulders fell. "Mrs. Forman…"

"Just let me finish, Jackie." Kitty grabbed the brunette's shoulders gingerly. "But I know he still loves you. Maybe even more than he loves her." She smiled. "A mother just knows these things. But if you're not serious about this, about him, Jackie, then you need to go home and let Jessica take care of him. She really does love him." The older woman let go and stepped back. "Now what did you want to say?"

Stunned by Kitty's words, Jackie face contorted as tears filled and stung her tired eyes. She shrugged. "I don't know what to do." Shaking her head, Jackie looked down as she explained. "I love Colin. So much. We have something so wonderful. But…Sometimes I feel that I love Steven so much I might explode. But what he did to me, Mrs. Forman…"

Kitty nodded. "I know what he did, Jackie. We all do. But the question is: Can you forgive him for it and let it go? Because if you can't then this is never going to work. And that's not fair to either of you."

"I know," Jackie whispered, wiping her eyes. "You're right." She took in a deep breath. For some reason, this woman had always felt like a mother. She was kind and caring and knew them all so well. "He asked me to leave Colin."

"I know. Eric told me."

"So, what do I do?" Jackie asked in desperation, knowing all too well that the clock was ticking. "I mean…Mrs. Forman…I think I want them both."

"Well, you can't have them both, sweetie. It doesn't work that way, even in these _fast_ times."

"I know," Jackie pouted.

Cupping the younger girl's face, Kitty offered a smile. "For now, just take care of him. I'll be back later." She kissed Jackie's forehead. "It's going to be OK, Jackie. The answer will come to you in time."

Jackie watched her walk down the steps and out of view. "But we don't have any more time..."

* * *

Seven Hours Later

Their last day was finally coming to a close and the only light remaining came from a flickering television screen. It was six o'clock and his girlfriend would be home in little more than twenty-four hours. And Jackie knew that she had to make a decision soon. It was hard to look at his sleeping form, though, and imagine giving him back to her. He was hers now. His lips were her own. His arms. Hers. And she hoped…maybe…his heart, too.

Jackie broke her stare briefly to sigh. She was doing it again. Dreaming. She knew better than that. Steven Hyde belonged to no one. Not even Jessica. He was a storm. Just like the one that raged outside. Unpredictable and furious in the way he moved. And always leaving devastation in his wake. To tame him would be impossible for a mere mortal, even one as beautiful as she. And after a long day of thinking, it was why Jackie knew she was going to have to tell him no.

A lump formed in her throat. As much as it would hurt, it would still be easier to miss him, to concede him to Jessica, than to love him again in the way she once did. To have to wonder again, every day, if he loved her, too.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, causing Jackie to finally look away from Hyde and take in a deep breath. She got up and checked the peephole. It was Mrs. Forman with her special chicken soup.

Jackie opened the door and Kitty rushed in, a small crock pot in her mitten-clad hands.

"How's he doing?" she asked. "Have you been checking his temperature?"

"Yes, Mrs. Forman. He's fine," Jackie informed Kitty, following as the woman shuffled into the kitchen and set down Hyde's soup. "He slept all day, except for when I gave him his medicine."

"Have you been giving him water?"

"Yeah. I mean, I tried. But he would only drink orange soda and only when I gave him those pills. He's being really difficult."

"Well, just keep trying. Here's his soup." Kitty turned to face the younger girl. "I have to go. Red and I have our couples bridge match tonight. And that hussy from down the street, Janice Myers, tried telling the other ladies that the reason I wasn't there _last_ week was because it was my turn to bring the pie and that my pie had probably gone flat. Well, Kitty Forman does not have a flat pie! I had to work overtime that night. But," Kitty smiled wide and nodded. "Little do they know that _this week_ , I have a pie that is going to knock their socks off!"

"Huh?" Distracted, Jackie winced at the expectant look on Kitty's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Forman. It's just that I don't really care about old people stuff."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Oh, never mind. Just make sure Steven eats. He needs his strength. And don't forget what we talked about."

"I won't." Jackie watched the older woman head for the door. "Thanks, Mrs. Forman." The door shut and the brunette simply stood in the middle of Hyde's darkened living room. The tips of her fingers pinched at the sweatshirt she was wearing. It was his. And it was no wonder she felt like he was all over her. It smelled of him. As did everything else in this place. As did everything in her life right now.

Jackie sighed and sashayed toward him. "Steven," she pouted, taking a seat at his side. "What are we going to do?" Hyde opened his eyes, making hers widen. "You're awake." He didn't answer, instead only placing his hands on her hips. "It's time for your ear drops."

Hyde sneered at the mention. "C'mere." He pulled on her just a little, enough to drive her momentum downward toward him. And like he wanted, she squished in beside him as he covered her with his blanket. He slipped his leg in between hers and brought his hands to her face. He also felt high, dazed from the Percocet, but coherent enough to want to kiss her.

Hyde pressed his lips to hers and closed his eyes, sensing that there wasn't much time left. Eric's advice was coming back to him. "Jackie…"

Jackie opened her eyes. "Huh?"

"I'm going to need your answer soon." Hyde looked down. "And either way, you're going to have to get out of here first thing in the morning. I don't know what time she's coming home and…she's going to come straight here to see me." It sounded harsh, maybe, but she had to understand. If her answer was no, then he was staying with Jessica. And if she said yes, then he was going to need time to break it off with the blond. The reality was that both prospects sucked in their own right. Wanting Jackie hadn't made him want Jessica any less. It had only made him willing to deny himself of her, and _only_ if it meant getting Jackie back.

"You want me to leave in the morning?"

"No," he said, finally feeling the pinch of time. "I want you to say yes in the morning, Jackie. And then…I want you to go home and figure out how the hell you're going to break up with Colin… _without_ touching him."

"Well, I don't know if I can do that, Steven."

"What," he asked, looking like a confused puppy. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…I don't know if I can break up with him." Jackie sat up a little and burned a serious gaze into his eyes. "How do I know you're not going to start jumping to conclusions again, and come home with someone else. Or cheat on me."

Frustrated, Hyde looked away. He could say that he wouldn't. That he was different now. But he wasn't. Not in her mind. Not that she would believe anyway. Especially considering what he was doing to his current girlfriend. "I guess you don't know," he responded, returning his eyes to hers. "I'm…Jackie, it's never going to happen again. Okay? I promise. I don't know what else to say."

Because of the look on his face, Jackie smiled weakly. He was being sweet. She wished she could believe him. But what he said… it sounded all too familiar. And those blue eyes, she realized, that she wanted so badly to trust had glared at her with hate way too many times over the past five years. They had laughed at her until she ran home and cried on more than one occasion and cruelly watched her as he let another woman have him right in front of her. The past was behind them, but the memories, and the pain that came along with them, felt as fresh as ever.

Her decision made, Jackie's smile turned up in strength and she tried to remember the sweet parts of him, tried to file these new memories away. Jackie leaned forward and kissed him, carrying with it a million reminiscences. She thought of the moment he had punched another man for calling her a bitch, the first time the word 'girlfriend' slipped from of his lips, the snowy Christmas Eve that she had danced for him... He had been a good boyfriend. Before all the heartache and betrayal, he really had done all the things a boyfriend should do. She knew that now.

"I'll decide in the morning," she whispered, lying through her teeth. She already knew her answer. And she felt like the hard bite of guilt when he smiled, his face hopeful as he returned her kiss.

* * *

Jackie woke up thirty minutes later with Hyde still wrapped inside her arms and legs. She frowned, not remembering falling asleep. Sitting up, she looked around. The channel was still on MTV but no music played. The house was quiet. Ominously so.

She looked down. "Steven."

"Huh," he grumbled, fully dosed up on his pain pills and barely registering her voice now.

"Your ear drops."

"Mm-hm."

"And you didn't eat." Jackie sat all the way up. "Oh my God, the soup."

"Mm."

"I'm going to get your soup, baby." Jackie left him where he lay and went into the kitchen, turning on the lights. Lifting the lid to the crock pot, Jackie closed her eyes and took a whiff. She hadn't eaten all day and was starving. And it smelled delicious. After searching through his drawers and cabinets, she found a ladle and two big man-sized bowls and began to fill them with soup. "Oh, Steven, this soup smells amazing. You are going to love—" Jackie paused at her choice of words…

* * *

" _Do you love me?"_

 _Hyde mulled over the childlike sincerity that flashed in her eyes. She was serious. But, of course, he didn't want to answer. Not with these unforgiving gazes trained on them, ready to scrutinize every breath that left his body from here on out. They had no clue. No idea of the things he felt. He felt almost delusional, though, and he wasn't even sure yet if those feelings were real or only manifested from within the high of the last couple of weeks, fielded from the pain of the first few years without her. But it was there in his mind nonetheless; hidden behind thick, thick walls of resentment and time, but slowly being uncovered by the kinds of looks that she was giving him now._

 _Something about her eyes just felt warmer to him, familiar. She was youth and comfort, embodied and rolled into everything he hated. And everything he loved at the same time._

" _Steven?"_

 _Hyde glanced at his gripped audience, then back at her eyes, which were growing withered by the second. He wished she had saved it for another time, for another place. Why couldn't she have been patient? Why couldn't she have understood that about him? It was just like her to leave him no choice._

 _Dismayed, Hyde leaned down through her dark hair and paused, before whispering in her ear. "Yes… I think I do…"_

* * *

Her perfectly-proportionate mouth agape, Jackie finally heard those words echo in her head as an official memory. _I think I do._ Without thinking, she grabbed a fork instead of a spoon and shut the kitchen drawer. Her vision was out of focus. But she couldn't be bothered with it now. His words kept repeating on a loop. _I do. I do_. It had been whispered in her ear, he loved her, and she remembered the feeling.

Jackie shut her eyes and inhaled deeply. She remembered the kiss. And now she even remembered what she had said in return…

…At the Same Time…

She was a day early. And the smile on her face was so strained from happiness that the muscles in her cheeks were beginning to feel the bittersweet pinch. Jessica's smile grew even more as she looked past the rain and up at Hyde's building, two suitcases in hand while, behind her, a co-worker pulled away.

She was finally home.

She had missed him so much.

Trying her best to move speedily in heeled boots, she made a run for it through the fall tempest, nearly laughing at her own irrational excitement. She hadn't kissed his sweet lips in over two weeks, or felt his strong arms press her body to his in what felt like an eternity. Plus, it was storming out. Perfect weather to spend a lazy day in bed.

He was going to be so happy, so surprised, to see her. That thought had the muscles in her hands so knotted that they were squeezing into fists as she reached the building door and then ascended his stairwell as fast as she could. The last time she had gone away with her father, he had jumped her upon stepping in the door. He had missed her so much, he said, and spent the whole weekend kissing her, saying all the things she'd hoped he would, minus one, of course.

That didn't matter, though, because, just like this time, she had missed everything there was to miss about him. The whispers he made under the covers. The way he scowled when he changed the channels on the television. His sweet smiles. Those were the things that mattered today.

Her heart bounding with exhilaration, Jessica managed the last step and dropped her bags to scour through her purse for keys. "Damn it." The feeling of metal finally in hand was like the moment before stepping onto a roller-coaster. It was coming. It was rising in her chest, and she just couldn't stand it anymore.

Unlocking the door, Jessica smiled and turned the knob. "Baby?! I'm home!"

And what had been rising through her body all day sunk faster than even her smile. Walking out of his kitchen was her only insecurity, dressed in her boyfriend's favorite hooded sweatshirt and carrying a bowl of what looked like steaming soup.

Disheartened and confused, Jessica took in a shuddered breath. "Jackie?"

The brunette's face fell.

"Oh, my God."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Love Is A Battlefield**

 **Music:**

 _I Ran_ – A Flock of Seagulls

 _Storms_ – Fleetwood Mac

 _Love Is A Battlefield_ – Pat Benatar

* * *

Well, if you want to love me  
Then, darling, don't refrain  
Or I'll just end up walking  
In the cold November Rain

* * *

 **Thursday**

 **November 15, 1984**

Her eyes told her story, far behind a deep-set brown that even now held not a single ounce of malice. They were warm and, underneath it all, still so kind. They were almost unbearable to look at on this rainy fall evening. The pain and confusion that sat inside them reflected like light off a mirror, low and sharp to Jackie's gut, kicking off the stunned blonde's gaze like the sun over a vast ocean.

It was blinding.

Jackie's jaw tingled painfully. "It's not…" she stammered, turning her eyes to the sleeping man that connected her forever to this girl, but stopped, suddenly feeling like she had no right. "I'm just…"

His current girlfriend did look at him, however, briefly soaking in his sleeping form before returning her sights to his ex-girlfriend with the glow of renewed anger. Her lips pursed. Eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here, Jackie?"

At the brunette's silence, Jessica exhaled and squeezed her eyes shut, the worst thoughts imaginable attacking her mind. People had argued with her, told her she was crazy, but she had always known that this girl was going to be her biggest adversary.

Standing across the room, avoiding panic to the best of her capabilities, Jackie took in a sharp breath and furrowed her brow thoughtfully. Hyde would hate her; HATE her, if she didn't fix this.

"He's sick," she uttered, causing Jessica to make eye contact again. That face, the blonde's, triggered something, made Jackie recall the days before the whole world had turned on its side. The world that Jessica still naively labored in. Still, she told herself, they weren't caught yet. "Hyde," Jackie continued. "He's sick." Looking down at his soup with a renewed vigor, Jackie cheered herself on. She could do this. "And…"

Jessica's eye widened slightly, her attention clinging to Jackie's next word.

"Mrs. Forman sent me over here to bring him her Sick Boy soup and make sure he took his pills. She… God, you know I wasn't even listening to her," Jackie confessed, laughing casually as she walked closer to the coffee table that sat in front of Hyde and set down the soup. She stood up and raised her hands. "I guess she and Mr. Forman were going to some pie show. On a bridge.

"You mean, her ladies Bridge game, where they swap pies?" Jessica asked guardedly. But, promisingly, her eyes now glistened with a slightly softer shade of suspicious. She took a step forward. "So…Mrs. Forman sent you?"

Jackie nodded. "Yep. She wanted to show off her pie or…" she flipped her eyes up toward the ceiling and sighed sweetly. "God, I was barely listening. You know how she rambles on when she's been drinking." A strategic laugh, a shoulder lift and the kind of smile that Jackie knew to be contagious—It was her most beautiful one—caused the blonde to smile warily in return. "But she gave me soup, and I'm supposed to put these drops in his ears. But I mean, thank God you're here, because ew."

"Okaaaay…" Jessica droned musingly, stepping a little closer as her expression soured a bit. "But why are you wearing his sweatshirt?"

"Oh…" Jackie looked down at the blue fleece. "Because of the rain," she responded quickly, unaffected by the inquisition. It seemed anyway. She could have been an Oscar-winning actress had the tides been in her favor. And she tried to remember that as she looked up and swallowed. Remembering. She could do this. She had to. Because if she took this girl away from him, without offering herself in exchange, he would never forgive her.

Ever, this time.

Perfecting character, Jackie scoffed and made a snotty face. "Well you wouldn't believe the jerks out there," she said, stepping tactically away from Hyde. "I got out of my car in the parking lot and this fat girl in a green Pinto drove right past me over a puddle and sprayed me." With difficulty, Jackie swallowed. Jessica was just watching her. Still listening. But it was hard to tell if she was buying it. "I think she was just jealous. Anyway, it's really cold in here so I stole this from his closet." Her expression turned sheepish. "Do you think he'll be mad? It's so cheap; I didn't think he'd mind."

Jessica's eyebrows creased musingly as she watched Jackie. "No." She finally turned away, unknowingly conceding a victory to the enemy. "No, he won't care." Taking a seat on a sofa chair, Jackie watched the younger girl sit down beside Hyde and touch his cheek, eliciting the first of many pangs of jealousy to come. But she couldn't say a word. All she could do was swallow it down and watch. And she also had to figure out a way to get her clothes off of his bedroom floor and her grooming products from his bathroom counter.

Jessica looked up. "So…What's the matter with him anyway?"

"Oh, he has an infection in both ears."

"Really?"

Jackie shrugged. "That's what Mrs. Forman said, and that he had a 105 fever."

"Oh, my God." Instinctively, the blonde touched his forehead and cheeks and made his earlobe slide between her fingers. "God, that's so weird. I wonder how he got sick. He's never sick."

Jackie shook her head. " _I've_ never seen him sick."

"Steven?" Jessica called quietly, leaning down as she took in the sight of him.

The love in her eyes, what might have been admired by any other, only made Jackie's jaw clench in annoyance.

"Baby, wake up. I'm home." As the girl leaned down further, through her loose curls, Jackie could see her lips connect with his, and she felt her heart breaking all over again, tearing in half while visions of Sam kissing him slid forward and replaced the sight before her. His eyes were closed, but within moments, his jaw parted and his lips moved gently against Jessica's. Jackie turned away. When she looked again, she wanted to scream. He was kissing Jessica in earnest now. Delicate but meaningful pecks. And his hand rose to meet her cheek. But his eyes remained closed.

Jackie's stomach began to churn, and she closed her eyes. And like a lioness on a fleeing gazelle, she jumped the horrified blonde, pushing her to the floor below Hyde. "He's mine!" she screeched, wrapping all ten of her fingers around the girl's neck and slamming her head over and over into the plush carpeting. "I have been putting up with his crap for ten years! You don't get to just come in here and have him when he's finally decent enough to take out in public!"

Opening her eyes, Jackie snapped out of her fantasy and looked over at Jessica, who still sat kissing Hyde. _Open your stupid eyes_ , she inwardly pleaded with him. He couldn't know what he was doing. He just couldn't.

"I love you," she heard Jessica whisper against his mouth.

"I love you, too."

Jackie's eyes widened as Jessica broke their kiss and sat up. "Oh, my God." She glanced at Jackie. "Did he just…Oh my God!" She leaned down again, smiling wide. "Steven. Oh my God." Covering her mouth, Jessica stood up and began to pace excitedly. The smile on her face was as bright as the sun and all Jackie could do was give her a strange look. She had no idea why the girl was behaving this way.

Jessica dropped her hand and beamed at Jackie. "He just…He just said 'I love you."

Jackie furrowed her brow. "Yeah…"

"Well, he's never said that to me before. I've never even heard him say that word before. Not ever. Well, I mean, there was this one time he said he loved watching Kelso get," Frowning, Jessica pushed her palm forward, "smacked in the face but…" She squealed and jumped a little where she stood. "This is so much better!"

Jackie looked down at Hyde, who still appeared to be sleeping. "He's _never_ said that before?"

"Well," Jessica's face flattened. She had forgotten for a moment, just who she was telling all this to. "No." She raised her eyebrows, almost daring Jackie to brag. "Why?"

"Oh no, no. I'm just saying," Jackie forced a smile, "that that's… wonderful. Really." Her own smile fell away. "I just feel like I'm intruding." But inside, she was jumping up and down, squealing and clapping like a child. She'd had always just figured that he had. That he'd given Jessica all the 'I love yous that she'd been denied. But he hadn't. And Jackie was now having to swallow down a grin, suspecting that this last one was hers as well. Jessica was nice and all. But this silent skirmish between she and Jessica had just escalated into a war for his precious words. And Jackie, so far, was winning.

Jessica smiled. "No, you're fine." Because on the outside, it was she who couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she sat back down and kissed Hyde softy on the lips. "God, I missed you."

"Um…" Jackie stood up. "Can I use his bathroom before I go?"

"Yeah," Jessica said, still focused on Hyde. "Sure."

In her voyage toward the bathroom, Jackie planned her clothes' escape from the foot of Hyde's bed. The place they had landed the night before, flung carelessly from his hungry hands. Before closing the bathroom door, though, she took a mental map of the apartment's layout. She could see both spots from this position, meaning that Jessica could see her, too. To the left, the blond was still on the couch, covering him with the blanket while, to her right, the evidence sat damningly on the carpet. "Crap." Jackie shut the door and leaned back against it.

Her plan was to come out quickly, hoping that Jessica had moved to somewhere other than the bedroom. If anything was going to happen, she didn't want to be here for it. Other than that, her only hope was to wake Hyde and let him handle it.

Hearing movement close in, Jackie flew out of the bathroom to see Jessica coming toward her. "You know what! I have _got_ to go," she said, turning Jessica around and walking her back into the living room. "I should show you how to put those drops in. There's a special way Mrs. Forman taught me. Yeah, and if it's not done this one way…he could die."

Jessica made a face as Jackie pushed her forward. "Wait," she hesitated, grabbing Jackie's hand. "There's something I want to ask you."

Jackie's eyes widened. "What, who me?"

"Yeah," Jessica nodded, cringing. "And it's kind of personal. About…you and Steven. Your relationship."

Jackie's mouth opened, but she paused, frowning quickly. "You know… I _really_ should go. There's this _big_ shoe sale at Loehmann's, and I like to get there early to watch the fat girls fight over the extra wides." Swiftly, Jackie spun around to leave.

"Please," Jessica pleaded, stepping forward.

Sighing, Jackie squeezed her eyes shut and turned back around to face the waiting blonde. "What could you possibly want to talk about? It was so long ago."

"I know." Jessica glanced back at Hyde. "But…" She reached out and grabbed Jackie's hand again, briskly pulling her toward the sliding glass door that led to his balcony. "C'mere."

Jackie panicked and tugged, but Jessica had her good. Crap. Maybe she knew. Maybe she was going to push her over the ledge in her jealous rage. "Where are we going?"

"To talk out here," Jessica whispered furtively, opening the door and leading the brunette onto the small outdoor enclave. "He'd kill me if he heard me talking to you about this." She shut the door and pointed to a chair with a smile, taking her own seat. "Sit. It's not wet."

Stiffly and, oh so slowly, Jackie sat, never looking at Hyde's capricious girlfriend. She was behaving rather evenly for a girl who'd just found her man's ex in his house, wearing his sweatshirt. And so, in her nervousness, Jackie could only stare straight ahead into the rainy darkness, nearly hallucinating in her terror. This was it. This would be the moment that her beauty and magnetism would finally catch up with her and bring her to the fruition of her life.

Beside her, Jessica sighed.

"It's like the whole world is flooding," she uttered quietly. "Has it been like this here all month?"

"Uh-huh."

She sighed again and turned. "Look, Jackie. I know this is awkward but it's just always been something that bothered me." Jessica took a deep breath, refilling her lungs for the question she was terrified to raise, but too curious to stop herself from doing it. "I was just wondering why you two broke up."

Stunned slightly by the forward question, Jackie looked over. "Who, me and Steven?"

"Well, yeah."

"Oh," Jackie puckered her chin, stalling. "Well... that's easy. I guess, because he was an inconsiderate, immature pig who couldn't commit."

At that, Jessica nodded and looked down a moment. "Well, yeah, he's still kind of like that but… What I mean is… What's the big secret?"

Jackie tilted her head in confusion. "Secret?"

Jessica nodded, scooting closer. "Yeah. You can tell me. I won't tell anyone. I promise."

"Jessica, what are you talking about?"

"The secret. You know…" Jessica raised her hands. "The _thing_ I'm not supposed to know."

Jackie frowned. "There's a thing you're not supposed to know?"

At that, the blonde's eyes lit up. "There is?"

"I don't know. Is there?"

"I don't know," Jessica countered, narrowing her eyes in query. "Is there?"

Lips pursed, Jackie pointed at her. "OK, we're getting nowhere here!"

Jessica sighed in frustration. "Every time your relationship is brought up around Steven, he makes these squinty eyes at whoever's talking and, one time, Kelso starting saying something about some guy named Sam and you and Chicago, and then Steven punched him in the arm."

"But Steven always punches Michael in the arm."

"I know, but I asked Donna what was going on, and _she_ said that it was 'Hyde's business' to tell me. That it had to do with your break-up and that he would get pissed at her if she told me."

Jackie furrowed her brow at this. Secret? Hyde's business? Sam. It hit her. The secret. The thing that Jessica was not to know. Hyde's dirty little bleached-blonde skeleton. Feeling angry suddenly, Jackie narrowed her eyes. It figured. Jessica had no clue about anything at all. He probably blamed their break up all on her. Typical. "So, what DO you know exactly?"

Jessica shook her head and shrugged. "Just that you cheated on him with Kelso."

Surprised, Jackie's mouth fell into a wry smile. "Oh." She slapped both hands down on the arms of Jessica's chair. "Well then, WE have a LOT to talk about, don't we?" Her wicked smile grew. "Why don't you go get us a couple of cold beers? I'm sure Hyde has some."

The blonde appeared suspicious at first, but filled the expression to capacity with a trusting, and slightly excited, smile. "Okay." Quickly, but quietly, she ran through Hyde's house and scooped two beers from his fridge. "Now you can _never_ tell him that I asked you about this," Jessica warned upon her return, re-closing the slider and handing Jackie her beer. She rolled her eyes and sat. "It would turn into a whole big, stupid thing with him."

Jackie opened her beer and took a frosty swig. "Alright, well, basically…" She sighed. God. Where to start. "We had just broken up because I wanted certain things, _commitment_ things, and he was being his typical stupid self and just wanted things to stay the same. So, we broke up. But then we got back together, and then I got this job offer in Chicago…"

Taking a gulp of her own beer, Jessica shifted in her seat.

"…and I told him that I would stay with him in Point Place _only_ if he just said that there was some sort of future for us. But, again, he couldn't. He just kept saying 'I don't know." Jackie scowled deeply. "I mean, _'I don't know_!" She scoffed. "Men fall over themselves for a chance with me. But not him. It's like the poorness _rotted_ his brain or something. God! Anyway, I left, and he didn't stop me. So, I figured we were broken up again. And Michael came to visit me a few times while I was in Chicago, since he worked out there. Well, one night he kissed me. I was sad and lonely, so I let him. I mean, that's as far as I was going to let it go, though, 'cause Michael's just a pig, and I respected Brooke. But he thought the kiss meant that we were going to do it."

Jessica shook her head. "Men."

In agreement, Jackie grimaced and nodded. "Right? Anyway, it was late, and he decided to stay, so he took a shower and, _right_ after, went to go get ice, and _that's_ when Steven showed up. He saw Michael in a towel, jumped to his conclusions, and took off."

"So why did Steven come to Chicago?"

Jackie took a deep breath. "Jessica…"

"No, it's OK," Jessica waved the concern off. "Like you said, it was a long time ago. I can handle it."

"You're sure?" Thinking it over one more time, Jessica gave a nod. "Okay. Well… later I found out that he had planned to propose and bring me home. That's what Michael told me anyway and Steven… _Hyde_ sort of admitted it."

Jessica frowned curiously. "So then so you broke up because he _thought_ you had cheated on Kelso... but I knew that part. What's the big secret?"

"Well… there's sort of more." Jackie frowned, trying to put the memories back into focus. "I ended up quitting my job and coming home to try and get him back. But nobody had seen him in weeks."

"Where was he?"

"In Las Vegas."

Jessica's jaw dropped practically to her knees. "So _that's_ when he was in Vegas." She shook her head. "You know, he told me he went there once. But I didn't ask why."

"Yeah, well, he went alright." Jackie rolled her eyes. "And he managed to leave his stupid brain there, too. He was just _really_ different when he came back. Mean. Well, to me anyway." She shrugged off the bad feelings that came along with these recollections. This story was never an easy one to tell. But the girl who sat in front of her was gripped for some reason, silently prodding for her to continue. Strangely, Jackie felt connected to her. "So, I finally told him, when he got back, that I hadn't slept with Michael, and everything seemed like it would be OK. But then the doorbell rang, while we were talking, and… his wife was at the door."

Jessica blinked hard, a jolt shaking her head. "Wait. Whose wife?"

"Steven's."

A stifled laugh escaped the blonde. "Whoa. No. No. Wait." But Jackie wasn't laughing. "But… But Steven's never been married."

Finally, Jackie laughed, too, sardonically. "Well, you're half right." She bit back her bottom lip. "Anyway, in walked his slutty, _stripper_ wife."

Jessica's face fell. "His…" She closed her eyes. "What?" The girl looked as if she was about to vomit. "A…" Scrunching her nose, she opened her eyes. "A stripper?" she repeated flatly. "You're joking."

Genuinely sorry, and a little shocked to be the one to break the news, Jackie shook her head, watching with curiosity the look on the blonde's blanching face. Was this what she had looked like that night? Ill-guised. Pale. Disillusioned. "Apparently, he had gotten drunk, and, after years of telling me he didn't know if he'd ever marry me, or anyone for that matter, he married some skank he met at a strip club in Las Vegas. She just showed up at his door in Point Place. He didn't even remember marrying her."

"Wait. Let me just," Jessica covered her eyes and began to rub. "You're saying that Steven's been married before? To a stripper?"

Flatly, Jackie nodded.

"Oh… God." Jessica stood up and took a few steps around the balcony. "Well, I… I guess I can see now why…why you wouldn't be able to forgive him. And why you guys broke up." She raised her hands into fists. "I can't believe he didn't…Wait," She looked up. "So, what happened after he answered the door? He sent her away? Right? The stripper. It was just a mistake." Jessica waited, standing on her feet with a million questions in her eyes. "Jackie?"

Jackie smiled gently and looked up. "No… No, he decided he'd rather be with her than me. They played house while I…" Jackie could only shrug and searched how to avoid drawing any emotion from herself. This was not something she was supposed to care about five years later. But it was difficult. Falling for him so hard again and having to recall the things he had done to her. The ways in which he had abused her without mercy. But what helped more than anything in that quest was the fact that her current companion looked as if she were about to be sick, too. Jackie winced. "Are you OK?"

Swallowing roughly, Jessica nodded. "I think so. How long were you two together?"

"Two years."

Jessica looked down at the wet concrete. "And… he told you that he loved you. Right?"

"You know what," Jackie stood up in a panic. "I really don't want to talk about this." She couldn't talk about it was more like it. Not without giving herself away. "I should go."

Jessica nodded. "OK. Just…Just show me what to do with the drops."

Jackie smiled, relieved when this girl that she thought her enemy smiled back. It broke the strange tension they were both feeling. Something had to. Or they would burst. "Come on."

Inside, Jackie sat down next to Hyde, drops in hand while Jessica kneeled down next to his head. "From what Mrs. Forman told me, it's better to do it with him asleep. He's being a big baby about the whole thing."

"Yeah, he has this thing with water getting in his ear."

Jackie unscrewed the cap and grabbed Hyde's earlobe. "All you need to do is pull down on his earlobe so it's like this and then squeeze three drops in." She did as she said and handed Jessica the small bottle. "And then take this little ear nub thing, push it in and move it around to get the stuff in there. And then let it sit for five minutes before you flip him over to do the other ear." Jackie smiled. "Hey, and he didn't even wake up."

Suddenly, Hyde opened his eyes. And Jackie's widened as he looked at her and smiled faintly. "Steven!"

"Hey."

"Well, you're probably wondering why _I'm_ still here. But look!" She forced a huge smile and directed her hands at the girl beside her. "I-i-i-it's Jessica!"

Hyde looked over and his mouth fell open in shock at the sight of his girlfriend. "Jess."

Jessica smiled. "Hey." Hyde started to sit up but she stopped him. "No, no. Jackie just put drops in your ear. You should lay down." Instead, she leaned down and went to him, pressing her lips to his. He was stunned, frozen, unsure of what to do. Jessica had closed her eyes but his were still open, immediately falling on Jackie and the heartrending look on her face. But she squeezed her eyes shut and looked away. And so, he closed his own and waited for Jessica to stop placing little kisses on his lips. She backed up quickly and he looked at her for the first time in two weeks. She looked beautiful and so happy to see him. 'I missed you,' she whispered, her expression sincere.

'I missed you, too,' he mouthed, wondering what in the hell was going on. How the hell was she not screaming at him or hitting him?

What had Jackie said?

Just then, he felt Jackie leave his side and stand. Her voice was dithering. "Well, the soup Mrs. Forman sent me here to bring him is in the kitchen, if he wants more." She scrambled to leave, trying to figure out how to tell him about her clothes and make-up. "Um, I borrowed your sweatshirt, Hyde," she said, backing up. "I'll get it back to you somehow."

"Jackie," he called.

She turned. "Huh?"

"Thanks," was all he said, calming her expression.

"Sure." Jackie widened her eyes. Jessica was looking down at him, and it was her only chance. _'My stuff,'_ she mouthed at him, gesturing toward the bedroom. "No problem. You know me. Always giving."

Jessica turned. "Oh, I'm being rude. Thank you, Jackie." She smiled back down at Hyde. "I'll be right back," she muttered to him before standing and heading toward the bedroom.

Behind her back, Jackie's heart seized. Her breath stopped, too, as she waited, her big eyes darting at Hyde, who lay frozen, watching his girlfriend walk away in what seemed like the longest journey in the history of time. But they were in luck tonight as she walked into the main bathroom and shut the door.

Jackie and Hyde both flew into a harried panic with Hyde waving his hands at his bedroom and Jackie making a run for it.

"Go, go," he whispered frantically. "Hurry."

Her feet were moving faster than her mind, but Jackie managed, grabbing every piece of her clothing and all the evidence of the last sinful week she could find, including the stuff in his private bathroom. A pile in hand, she left his room, praying, running quietly past the front bathroom and back into the living room.

She found her bag by the door, thanking God that she had brought her carry-all purse instead of her suitcase, and shoved everything inside.

Jackie turned around in a huff. "This is so wrong, Steven."

Hyde cringed. "I know, but what…" He heard the toilet flush and quickly returned to Jackie in a higher stage of panic. "What are we doing, Jackie?"

"I don't know," she answered, shaking her head nervously and bouncing on her feet, her entire body rigid before turning its aggression at Hyde. "You said she wouldn't be home until tomorrow."

"That's what she told me."

"God," Jackie looked around, shifting her feet in her frantic attempt to think. "Steven, I don't know what to do."

Hyde's dry lips puckered. "Jackie, there's no more time. What are we doing," he asked again more insistently, growing irritated with the cold liquid that was seeping out of his ear. He locked his gaze on her. This was it. This was the end of their journey. It was come or go from here. And it was all up to her. He's made his desires clear. He thought so anyway.

Hyde's jaw clenched as the seconds passed. "Will you leave him?"

But they were too late. The bathroom door swung open and both went silent as Hyde dropped back into position on the couch and shut his eyes in frustration.

"Are you still going?" Jessica asked Jackie, looking at the full bag in her hands.

Jackie glanced down, having almost forgotten the way things were—that, at this moment, he was not hers. "Oh. Yeah. I was just telling Hyde about the… green Pinto girl." While faking a feeble laugh, Jackie tried frantically to will the ghastly coating of sweat from her brow line. This was the most uncomfortable she'd ever felt in her own porcelain skin. "I'll, um, talk to you guys later."

To her surprise, Jessica gave her a genuine smile. "Well, be careful. It's really bad out there."

"Oh, I'll be fine. As long as I stay away from fat girls in green Pintos." After feigning one last pathetic chuckle, Jackie's smile fell away the moment Jessica turned her back and departed, destined for the kitchen. Jackie's eyes found Hyde's in that small span of time. They were complete tonight, blue as a mid-summer sky, full of history, and rich with a warmth that she wanted to immobilize forever. Choosing the road that he wanted would only cool that warmth. He probably only wanted her because he couldn't have her. Jackie thought of her childhood rat and smiled sadly.

And even if that wasn't the case, how could they begin again from infidelity and disloyalty? They would never trust each other.

"Jackie," he mouthed in silence from his pillow, a heartening scowl coming over his face. "Please."

Jackie ran her fingers over her lips and smiled fondly as she kissed them, bringing that hand down to the doorknob. His eyes were fixated on her as he waited impatiently. "I can't. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Hyde. Feel better." She tried to ignore the way his face changed, the way it fell.

A quiet "yeah," was all Hyde could muster as she walked out the door. His throat was closing in on him. He should've known. Should've seen it coming. Every time he'd ever put himself on full display, she'd crushed him. And that's all there was to it.

"Hey, baby." He looked up as Jessica sat down at his side and gave a small chuckle. "When I got here and she was here, I thought…"

Taking a deep breath and shifting mindsets, Hyde tried to smile. "You don't have anything to worry about, babe."

Smiling, Jessica lunged at his lips. "God, I missed you so much." She kissed him hard, slipping her tongue inside his mouth.

"Wait, wait, wait." Gently, Hyde pushed her back. "You can't kiss me. I'm sick. I, I don't want you to get sick, too." He pointed. "I don't like sick people."

Jessica cocked her head. "Steven, I don't care if I get sick. Just kiss me. I missed you."

"I know, but," for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to kiss her. It felt wrong. "My throat is killing me. Just…c'mere." He pulled her down and hugged her hard, taking in the sweet scent of her hair while guilt overcame him. He cared about Jessica, wanted her, but right now he wanted Jackie so much more, and his head was filling with twisted images of Colin's return. "So how was your trip?" he said, trying to push it all away.

"Awful." Jessica sat back. "How's Leo?"

"Surprisingly, more coherent than ever."

She laughed. "Well, that's good. You want me to heat up this soup? It got cold."

"Hell, yeah. I'm starving." He frowned. "Can we just, you know, sit here tonight and watch TV together or something," he asked, trying to avoid the things they normally did together on a day like today. But he didn't want to hurt her. Anything not to hurt her. She had been good to him, and he figured he would need to repair their relationship after this last few weeks, the relationship she didn't even know was broken.

Jessica smiled warmly. "Baby, that sounds like the best thing I've done in weeks…"

* * *

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Forty-Five Minutes Later**

Gingerly, Jackie stepped out of her car and shut the door. There was a spark about this moment. A finality. An overwhelming surge of energy that was bubbling out of her and into the stormy night. The damned feeling made her blood curdle, though, and her heart panic, even as it rose and left her body. It was anxiety, escaping. Leaving only a sadness that it seemed the whole universe could feel. But she sighed at its departure, thinking of him as she walked. She would miss him. But she would be alright.

One foot in front of the other, as his energy left her, each step brought with it more lethargy. But thankfully, a merciful fog was coming; settling down over her fatigued body and easing her gently back into the real world, guiding her from a dream. It had been a long seventeen days. Strained and wonderful. Like him. And now, it was time to go home.

In no real hurry, Jackie pushed open her front door and dropped her bag. Home. Small and unassuming. It was time to sleep, to finish the dream and wake up fresh.

To start over…

* * *

 **Friday**

 **November 16, 1984**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **11:15 AM**

Jackie paced her living room, occasionally stopping to glance at her phone. Why wasn't it ringing? Why wasn't Hyde calling? It wasn't like _she_ could call _him_.

Didn't he have anything to say? Any final words?

Sighing, she walked into her bathroom to check her hair. She was going wedding shopping with Brooke and Donna today. Maybe he would call while she was gone. Maybe…Jackie closed her mascara-lashed eyes. God, she was already acting foolish…

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **1:15 PM**

It had been a harrowing eighteen hours, and there was a war raging inside of him already. One of epic proportions. One that every man must fight within himself at some juncture in his life. Women. They were cruel. Using their softness to subdue, their fingernails to distract, their lips to smooth the rough edges of a man's mind.

She had only walked up and smiled. But he had forgotten how beautiful she was, how warm her brown eyes set against her hair and skin. There was something gentle about her, something graceful. And there was an appreciation in the way she'd always looked at him, an understanding that no one else seemed to have anymore. She didn't see him at all. Not the true him. She saw what she believed he could be. What he wished he could have been for her.

"Steven," Jessica uttered, tilting her head. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, his eyes still trained on her. "Fine." He tracked her movements until she stopped in front of him. He was terrified of her now. She was so tempting. This was bad. And he was weak, never having lost any of the things he felt for her. She was still his girl. She had just gotten away from him for a little while.

"My sick baby," she cooed and climbed onto his lap, straddling him loosely and setting her weight down on his groin. Like not a day had passed between them, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips, making his body jolt back slightly as she left more on his jaw line. "I missed you so much," she whispered in his ear.

Ah, damn. She smelled good. His heart was racing. His eyes closed as she kissed his neck. There was something different about this. She was making him feel like a nervous teenager. He was suddenly terrified of getting a hard-on and worried that if she kissed him harder, he would do it wrong. He'd been kissing Jackie for two weeks straight and feared that Jessica would somehow taste her on his tongue.

Unaware of how to stop this awkward feeling, Hyde slowly began to slither and sink down on the couch until Jessica was nearly sitting on his stomach.

Her brow furrowed. "Steven." He lowered himself further, bringing more distance between his mouth and hers. "What are you doing?"

"Just relaxing."

"What…" Jessica threw her hands up, clearly frustrated with his behavior since she'd been home. He knew he was acting like she had the bubonic plague, but he couldn't help it. "Honey…" He moved himself even further away. "You know what. Forget it." She climbed off the couch and walked away. "You're acting crazy."

"Crazy is just a socially-constructed label put in place to keep free-thinking people in line," Hyde called out, making Jessica turn, roll her eyes at him, and continue into the kitchen. Hyde turned on his side and closed his eyes. "Crap." He was acting like a fucking moron…

* * *

 **Dillards Department Store**

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **4:32 PM**

Standing all in a row, shoulder to shoulder, in the most sophisticated department store Milwaukee had to offer, Brooke and her bridesmaids, minus her cousin Karen, stared at what appeared to be an endless display of shoes.

Standing in the middle, Donna frowned. "Please tell me we have some sort of idea about what we're looking for."

Jackie nodded. "Of course. White heels."

"Oh." The redhead flashed a relieved smile at her friend. "Well, that seems easy enough."

"Uh huh. Now all we have to decide is do we want open or closed-toe, slingbacks or closed-heel, pumps or highs with a kitten heel, a low stiletto or a Sabrina heel? And… do we want a strappy vamp if we go for the slingbacks or do we omit the vamp, pump up the pump and go for a mid-stiletto?"

"How about just ones that cover our feet."

Jackie narrowed her eyes and stepped into Donna's face. "I ought to wash your mouth out with soap for that."

Brooke stepped in between them, nudging Jackie away. "Alright. Can we please have one pleasant shopping trip for this wedding?"

Glaring at Donna until the last second, Jackie turned. "Fine. Well… If this were a summer wedding, I'd say we should stick to the straps and slingbacks, but its fall and we're not hillbillies, so…" She shifted her attention to a young female clerk. "Can I see these, these, these, these, these, these and these in a six and," She looked down at Donna's feet. "Jolly Green Giant and a half, please?" she completed with a satirical smile.

"Nine and a half," Donna interpreted for the woman.

Jackie grinned, shooing the young employee away. "Thank you."

"OK," Donna turned to Jackie. "What is your problem today?"

Jackie looked at Donna and then at Brooke, who seemed to be waiting for some sort of answer, too. "What? I'm serious about my footwear, okay?"

Slowly, Donna shook her head. "Oh, my God."

"What?"

"You miss Hyde," the redhead realized out loud. "That's it, huh? That's why you've been snapping at us and insulting us all day."

"Oh, Donna, I would have done that anyway. And okay, maybe I miss him a little." Donna raised her eyebrows at the blatant fib. "OK, fine. A lot," Jackie confessed. "But it doesn't matter. We can't be together." The brunette paused, waiting. She had given them their cue... "Well, aren't you going to ask me why not?!"

"No," Brooke muttered.

Donna shook her head. "Nope. I think we all know why not, Jackie. You said it yourself. It was just a fling. It happened. It's over. Colin will be home in a couple days, and hopefully you'll forget all about Hyde."

Jackie's shoulders drooped. "I guess." Following the momentum of her shoulders, her head and eyes fell, too. "I just hope he doesn't hate me for saying no."

As Brooke watched the catastrophe waiting to happen, Donna grabbed her friend's shoulders. "Jackie, he's a man. Of course, he's going to hate you. But, again, he's a man, and the second he gets horny, he'll forget all about you."

Looking up in horror, Jackie made a face. "Donna!"

"What? It's all about sex with men. The second he wants some, he's going to run right to Jessica."

"Whoa!" Jackie screeched. "No. Back up! He… Wait. Sex?"

"Yeah," Donna replied emphatically. "Sex. That thing people do."

Jackie's lip pursed. "Watch it, Donna."

"What!"

"Steven's not going to have sex with her. He's sick!"

And that's where Brooke stepped in. "Uh, Jackie. He's going to get better."

"No, but…" Jackie glanced between her two friends. "Oh my God." Her mouth fell into a pout. "He's going to get better. And he's going to want sex eventually, and she'll be there."

Donna held out her hands at the blatancy of it. "Well yeah, what did you think was going to happen?"

"I don't know," Jackie whined. "I haven't really thought about it. She just showed up. And…he wanted an answer, and I said— Oh my God, they probably already did it."

"Probably not yet," Brooke cringed painfully. She couldn't lie. "But maybe. Jackie, she _is_ his girlfriend. It's going to happen eventually."

"But… they can't."

"Jackie." Donna grabbed Jackie's shoulders, but the terror on the brunette's face only grew as she stared into the possibilities of a Hyde/Jessica sex off. "Jackie!"

"I have to stop them," she muttered. "He can't have sex with her." Jackie looked up. "Donna he can't! Oh my God. What did I do? Oh my God. Oh my God…"

Just then, the clerk girl walked up with a stack of boxes. "Alrighty. These are the two-inch ankle-straps in white…"

Jackie stood up. "They're perfect! We'll take three! Let's go!"

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **Friday**

 **4:37 PM**

 _I never thought I'd meet a girl like you  
Meet a girl like you  
With auburn hair and tawny eyes  
The kind of eyes that hypnotize me through_

Having napped most of the day, Hyde entered the outer boundaries of consciousness to the sounds of 80's music, consisting of a horrible mishmash of synthesized beats and keyboard manufactured noise. He hated it. It drove him nuts. But he was used to this music. So much so that he knew the name of the song. He knew who sang it. He even knew some of the words.

The memories of the last twenty-four hours catching up with him, Hyde opened his eyes and let them wander the room in search of her. He stopped, yawning himself awake when he saw her. He exhaled slowly. Blond hair sat in a high ponytail as her perfect form bounced along to the music, dancing into the living room with a pile of clothes.

"Jess," he managed.

She walked over. "Hey! You're awake. How are you feeling?"

Hyde shook his head and frowned. "Can you get me come more of the Percocet?"

"Of course," she said, sweeping her index finger down the bridge of his nose. "Hey, why don't you go lay down in the bed. It's more comfortable." She winked. "That way, I can lay with you."

Hyde swallowed through the incredible pain in his ears and took a good, hard look at his girlfriend. She'd lain on the floor beneath him all night, between the couch and the coffee table, getting up for water and pills at his ogre-like commands.

Jackie had left him cold, choosing someone else.

"Ok," he replied. "I can do that." Her smile growing, Jessica started to walk away to get his pain medication. "Wait," Hyde grabbed her hand. "C'mere."

Hyde pulled her all the way down and pressed his lips to hers. "Thank you."

Jessica took it further and used her lips to part his, sweeping her tongue inside his mouth, sliding it ever-so-gently against his. When she pulled away, he watched her bite her lower lip playfully, darkly. Damn, she was hot. And he'd meant to stop, but instead, he found himself kissing her again…

* * *

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Friday 5:11 PM**

"Drive faster, Brooke! What are you? A hundred? Move!"

"Jackie! I'm going sixty-five on a side street in the pouring rain. Calm down."

Donna leaned forward from the back seat. "What are you planning to do, anyway? Call him? Tell him 'Oh hey. I know I chose my boyfriend over you, but do you think you could turn monk for the rest of your life just to make me feel better?"

"Well…Hey, do you think that'll work?"

"Jackie!" Donna scolded her. "You can't have it both ways. You can't have both Colin and Hyde."

"God! You sound just like Mrs. Forman!"

"Well, she's right, Jackie," Brooke interjected. "And anyway, don't you think Jessica's going to get a little suspicious that you're calling him?"

"That's why I'm going to have _Michael_ call him. She won't think anything of that. And then maybe I can get him to come here. Just for a little bit. To say goodbye or something. You know, maybe that's my problem. Steven and I never got a proper goodbye."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it…"

"Oh, shove it, Donna."

It was still raining when Brooke pulled into her driveway and frowned. "Who is that?"

Both Jackie and Donna looked over, too, while out from the front door of the Kelso home walked an attractive young brunette woman, carrying a toddler. Immediately, Jackie's gut wrenched, but the other two simply got out, unaware. Quickly, though, knowing who the girl was, Jackie followed and caught up with Brooke. "You know, I think I forgot my shimmer gloss at Dillards. We should go back."

But Brooke only continued to head up the walkway toward her front porch, frowning in curiosity. "Can I help you?" she asked when she reached the girl.

The stranger looked worried. "Um, no. I was just here to see Michael."

"Who are you?" Brooke asked her.

Donna flashed an uneasy glance at Jackie, who could only stare at the toddler boy at the girl's side, trying to find the claimed resemblance. The child had soft brown hair, but had no specific characteristics that would distinguish him as Kelso's. And his eyes were blue. Bright blue. While the mother's (and Kelso's) were brown.

"I think maybe you should ask him that," the woman responded and began to walk away, making Brooke turn.

"I'm asking _you_."

But the mysterious woman only ignored her and continued to leave, and before Jackie and Donna could even blink, the bride-to-be was running up her front porch and into her house.

"Oh, crap," Donna blurted as both girls followed quickly. "Jackie, what the hell's going on?"

"Michael! Michael!" Brooke yelled out for him, dashing around her house. It was so quiet inside, except for one place: the family room, where the TV softly spoke and Kelso sat staring despondently on the couch.

Brooke stopped, feeling like she could barely see through the adrenaline that coursed through the veins in her eyelids. "Michael."

But Kelso could only shake his head as he stared. "I'm sorry, baby. I…I thought I'd lost you." He looked up. "You kicked me out. I had a lot to drink." Lost from the breathing world, he returned his gaze to floor. "I could swear I used a condom, but…" He shut his eyes. "Brooke, please. Please don't leave me. I need you."

Brooke shut her eyes. They burned, stung from tears and she could feel the life inside her leaving, rising to escape her feeling body. "Get out," she muttered.

"Brookie," Kelso cautiously whispered and stood up, walking around to meet her. "Baby, I love you. Please." He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips to her palm. "It was a mistake I made a long time ago. Baby, please, let's just go in our room and talk about it, okay?" Becoming desperate from her silence, he kissed her hand hard. "It didn't mean anything."

But she only frowned pensively at the ground behind him. "Get out."

"Brooke…"

Making the entire room recoil, Brooke wrenched her hand from his grasp. "GET OOOOOUUUUT!" Whipping around, she took off through the kitchen and down the hall.

Seemingly unaffected, Kelso moved, too, following his bride with rapt eyes until Jackie caught up and pressed a hand to his chest. "Michael, maybe you should leave."

"Yeah, Kelso," Donna agreed gently. "Eric's at our place. Just go there and wait."

"Brooke!" Kelso screamed angrily down the hall past the girls, unable to follow as she disappeared from view. " _BROOKE!"_

"Michael. Go," Jackie demanded.

Kelso narrowed his eyes in his fury, still staring down the empty hallway. "You kicked me out, Brooke! You told me you didn't want me! So, I found someone who did!"

"Michael!" Jackie screamed at him, shoving him as hard as she could toward the door. "Just go!"

The whites of his eyes nearly gone, Kelso stopped and turned, fixing a loathing gaze full of fire on his ex-girlfriend. He pointed right at her. "This is all _your_ fault," he growled, making the small brunette freeze under his scrutiny. Jackie's breathing paused and her chest tightened at the pressure. It was the first time he had ever looked at her that way. But it was familiar, bitterly cold, and laced with a hatred that only Hyde had ever let her see.

BAM! His fist hit the from door, and just as quickly, he turned and walked out, bringing breath back to Jackie lungs.

"God, Donna. Did you see that?" She looked back to see that Donna was frozen, too.

"Yeah," the redhead managed as the two looked at each other, shocked at the turn of events. "God. I've never seen Kelso that pissed off before."

"Why do they get like that?" Jackie asked, feeling herself start to cry as she watched him go. "So cold and _mean_ when they're the ones who screwed up. And how is this _my_ fault?"

"He's hurting, Jackie, and he doesn't know what to do."

Both women watched as Kelso punched his back window out and got inside his car, peeling away in the pouring rain.

"Brooke," Jackie uttered and took off running down the hallway…

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **6:36 PM**

Hyde was tucked between his sheets, in and out of sleep, doped up on his Percocet and a little leftover weed he'd found in his top drawer. The sheets were moving, being lifted, and he felt a body slide in behind him. Bare skin came into contact with his skin and a warm, smooth leg slid between his leg.

"You feeling better at all?" Jessica soothed against his naked back, treating his spine with gentle open-mouthed kisses.

Hyde shut his eyes. Fuck, this was getting harder to avoid—he still wasn't ready to be physical with Jessica—but, thankfully, the medication was keeping his penis flaccid and his mind locked on sleep. "Not yet. Come on," he said, nudging her back a little, taking his pain over Jackie out on her. "Jess, I feel like shit, even with the pills. I couldn't get it up if I wanted to."

Behind him, his girlfriend sighed, obviously discouraged. She was making this harder than he thought she would. Feeling guilty from pushing her away all day, Hyde rolled over and pulled her close, placing his forehead to hers. "Come on, Jess, what do you want me to do? I can I barely keep my eyes open, my ears are killing me, my throat hurts and…"

"Alright," Jessica took in a deep breath, dropping her head to the pillow with a turned down mouth. "I just want to touch you. I missed you."

The dejected look on her face was painful to watch, and he gave in, kissing her, letting her taste his tongue briefly before giving her a long series of soft pecks to satisfy her. But she wasn't greedy. Instead, she smiled and snuggled in beside him.

Hyde kissed her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Jess."

* * *

 **Kelso Household**

 **7:30 PM**

Alone, Donna sat idly on the Kelso couch, halfheartedly watching Taxi as she waited. Brooke hadn't come out of her room since she'd gone in, and Donna was beginning to wonder what in the hell was taking Jackie so long. Comforting people was not exactly her forte, and she was getting worried about Brooke, all alone in her room like that. The only sounds wafting from the master suite was of a lone piano key ringing softly as another masochistically sad song began to play.

Just then, she heard the front door swing open and slam. And within seconds, Jackie, slightly wet from the rain, pranced in with a small suitcase. "Did Michael come back?"

Donna shook her head. "Uh-uh."

"Well did he call?"

"Nope."

"Did…" Jackie walked around the couch until she was standing in front of the redhead. "You know, _anyone else_ call?"

"Eric called."

"Did anyone _important_ call, Donna?"

"You mean, like _Hyde_ , Jackie?"

The brunette beamed. "Yes, like him! Did he call?"

"No."

"Ugh." Jackie slumped down on the couch. "He didn't call my house either. There's not a single message from him."

"What did you expect, Jackie? Jessica's home now."

"Yeah, but…" The brunette sighed. "He said he would break up with her. So, you'd think even though I said no—in all the confusion of the moment, may I add—that he would still miss me. He told me he loved me, Donna. While we were high on Leo's LSD. It was so magical."

"He actually _said_ the words _I love you_?"

"Well, no. I asked him if he loved me, and he said…" Jackie stopped. "Oh, what would you know about it! Eric told you he loved cake!"

"Why do you _always_ bring that up?"

"It doesn't matter," Jackie shooed. "I told him I wouldn't leave Colin, and I guess he just accepted it. It's just…" Absentmindedly, she picked up one of Betsy's soft rag dolls and brought it to her chest. "I thought we had more time, you know? But Jessica came home early, and I got nervous. I panicked, Donna. And I know it's the right decision. I do. I was planning on telling him no. But I wanted to be able to say goodbye. Like a real goodbye. We've never really had that. Not when we were supposed to." Suddenly, Jackie gasped. "Donna, call him for me."

"What? No way."

"Donna! I can't call. And Brooke can't. She never calls him. Michael's gone, and I can't ask Eric; you might think I'm hitting on him again." Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Jackie… I didn't…Ugh. Fine." Donna grabbed the telephone, and Jackie smiled. "Look, I never call him either. She's going to wonder why I'm calling."

 _A few minutes later..._

Donna hung up the phone. "Still no answer."

And in front of her, Jackie continued to pace and chew the polish from her fingernails. "Why, why aren't they answering the phone, Donna? What are they doing?" There was a long pause in which Jackie stared at her friend, questioning, pleading with her as if she held the secret code to Hyde and Jessica's daily itinerary. But, of course, she didn't and the redhead could only shrug helplessly.

"Jackie, it's possible he accepted your answer and moved on."

"No. No, he wouldn't…" Jackie simply shook her head and turned around, barely remembering her vacant steps. She was on autopilot now, walking down the long, dark hallway toward Brooke's bedroom. There was a haunting sound coming from inside its walls. The soft, gentle humming of music and crying. A light was on and she could see the thin strip of a warm, orange-tinted glow at the end the hallway's bend. It was the only place she wanted to be. With her friend. In the dim orange light. On that huge, cushion-y bed of hers. She just couldn't stop thinking, wondering, worrying if Hyde had touched Jessica, kissed her, made love to her. And she needed Brooke.

Every night that goes between  
I feel a little less  
As you slowly go away from me  
This is only another test

Jackie rounded the corner until she could see a little into the room. The door was open. And she continued to press her bare feet slowly into the carpet, carefully closing in on the solemn woman who sat inside. "Brooke?" Jackie pushed open the door and, as the bed came into view, she saw her friend, lying on her side and staring into the abyss through glistening, swollen eyes.

Glancing around the room, Jackie was amazed at the production. Candles burned. A red scarf hung over a lampshade beside the bed. And Stevie Nicks cried to her love from a spinning black disk in the corner.

A sad, but proud, smile arrived. A girl who took her mourning seriously. Just like her. For there was a belief she held. If a girl is going to cry, puff out her face and ruin her makeup, she may as well do it right and in style.

A few steps brought Jackie to the foot of the bed and she hopped up to sit. Surprisingly, it wasn't until this moment, until she was willing to let herself go down with Brooke to that hellish place where women mourned the men they loved, that she realized it. It was really the first time she'd let herself admit it, in the midst of Brooke's bad place. She loved him. But she had told him otherwise. Again. "Oh, God," she cried as tears flowed freely and she crawled up the bed to spoon her closest friend. He wasn't going to be coming for her...

 _September 20, 1979_

 _Every hour of fear I spend  
My body tries to cry  
Living through each empty night  
A deadly call inside_

 _Her eyes had been cried raw by the time Fez had entered her bedroom and lain down beside her. Yet, the tears still managed themselves, working overtime on this dark blue night to accommodate the pain. Lifting her head from her saturated pillow, Jackie didn't bother wiping the mess of tears from her face as she stared at the sympathetic look on his face. It was the first of its kind that she had seen—from anyone—since Hyde had been back from Vegas._

" _Well?"_

 _Fez shook his head solemnly. "He said he's not coming. I'm sorry."_

 _Jackie closed her eyes as the muscles in her face locked into a sob, one she couldn't break from. She was frozen in her devastation, ignoring the hot tears that rolled into her mouth and onto her hands. He had been her Puddin' Pop. Her baby. And only a deep gasping breath could break her silence. There was nothing left. And all her foreign friend could do was hold her and comb her tear-soaked hair as she wept._

" _I really thought he loved me," she sobbed quietly into his shoulder, yawning from her exhaustion. "I thought he loved me, Fez. I thought he loved me…"_

 _I loved you from the start_

 _Save us…_

"I thought he loved me," Jackie thought she heard a small voice say, and frowned in her confusion.

"What?" she asked Brooke gently.

The older girl sniffled and looked up, her face red and wrought with tears. "I thought he loved me," she cried gently. Stunned, Jackie blew out her breath and let her shoulders fall.

"Oh, Brooke. He does." Jackie hugged her friend tighter. There was no doubt in her mind that she knew Brooke's pain. No doubt about what Brooke needed. It had been all she had ever wanted. To be held, and heard. And although it had only happened on two occasions, at least it had. She squeezed her friend with everything she had, the way Fez had done for her. The way no one else would. "He does…" What words on earth would make a difference? "He just made a mistake, and he doesn't know what to do to fix it. But I know Michael, and he loves you."

Brooke opened her eyes. "Did you try to call Hyde?"

"Don't worry about that right now."

"It'll distract me."

Jackie nodded. "Donna called. But he didn't answer. I think…I think maybe I ruined it again. He was trying." She sulked, lowering her head in regret and resting her cheek on the top of Brooke's head. "He was trying his best, and I pushed him away again."

"He'll wait for you, Jackie. I saw it in his eyes. He'll wait." Brooke laid her head back down against Jackie's chest and closed her eyes. "Where do you think Michael is? You don't think he'd…"

"No. God, no. He better not or I'll kill him. Look, Michael's feeling sorry for himself, but there is NO way he's doing anything stupid. Let me clarify: he's not out cheating."

Brooke took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, while Jackie let her mind wander back to Hyde. Closing her eyes, she wondered if he was thinking about her, too. If he remembered what she'd said back to him beside the bonfire. She assumed not, by the way he had responded the rest of that night. But who knew with him. He was fickle and so hard to read.

Jackie opened her eyes and took in the room's soothing atmosphere. She had come to another fork in the road. There were a million, it seemed, on this path. This path that she had haphazardly chosen with the help of some tequila and a dark, intimate enclave. They had all betrayed her. The sting of the liquor. His comforting hands on her thighs. The feel of his lips on her skin, on her throat, his warm breath in her ear, his voice. Jackie's chest tightened at the thought. "God, it was so hard."

"What?" Brooke asked.

"Saying no to him," Jackie explained. "I have always," she breathed out, "wanted him."

"I know," Brooke whispered, squeezing Jackie tighter. "You did what you thought was right at the time. What else can you do?"

"Do you think…Do you think I'm a weak person, Brooke? For wanting him after what he did. I mean, it was so long ago, but…"

"I don't think you're weak. I'm just afraid for you. That's all." Brooke frowned. "You do what you have to do," she murmured quietly, barely awake anymore. "Just," she yawned, "love who you want or what's the point of it all?"

And as Brooke fell silent in her arms, Jackie looked around the dimly-lit room and forgave herself. Forgave herself for keeping such a cruel boy in her heart all these years. For allowing him to sink deeper in. And for putting him there in the first place. Because she finally, but slowly, was realizing that there was no way around any of it. He'd impressed upon her since she was a blossoming girl. The scruffy boy with a bad attitude and quiet heart. But she'd heard it, softly beating. She'd reached out. It wasn't her fault. She had been a curious girl and he had been her white night, her Puddin' Pop, even then…

* * *

 **Saturday**

 **November 17, 2004**

 **12:11 PM**

 **Kelso Household**

The front door slammed, and Jackie made her way through the living room and into the kitchen. From there, she could see into the family room. In her hand was a large white bag. "Sandwiches!" she yelled out and watched Donna rise from the couch as she placed the first sandwich on the counter.

"Oh, thank God," the taller girl said, walking around into the kitchen. "I thought I was going to have to eat Bradley's old bottle of mashed peas."

"So? Did you do it?"

Donna shook her head. "Hyde and Jessica still aren't answering." Upon the news, all the air came out of Jackie, who shut her eyes as Donna continued. "And I talked to Eric. Kelso never showed up there."

Jackie felt like she was going to throw up. "Yeah, I went home and checked my machine." Taking out a hoagie, she shook her head. "Nothing." Then she handed it to Donna and reached inside the bag for the other two. "Did you call Fez? Maybe he…"

"Nope. Not there either." Donna unwrapped her sandwich. "But Eric's on his way. He's going to stop by Hyde's and see if Kelso showed up there."

Jackie beamed. "Oh! Did you tell him to tell Steven to call me?!"

"Oh, crap!" Donna slammed down her meal. "I knew I forgot something."

"Donna!"

"I'm sorry," she winced. "I got distracted. Eric was bitching at me about not coming home last night."

"Well, at least he's waiting there faithfully," Brooke interjected, walking into the kitchen, fully dressed, hair done and looking like a new woman.

Jackie clapped her hands together. "Brooke! You're up!"

"Yeah. I'll be damned if I'm going to sit in my room all day because of that jerk."

"Are you OK?" Donna asked her.

"No," Brooke admitted, taking the sandwich being handed to her. "But I will be."

"But what about the wedding?" Jackie queried.

"Oh, the wedding is _off_." At that, Donna and Jackie shared a concerned look. "What?" Brooke asked. "He lied to me. And I told him a long time ago that I can deal with anything. I can deal with the fact that he ties his shoelaces together sometimes and that he's not always going to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, and that, on occasion, I have to unglue him from things. But I won't tolerate a liar. Not about the important stuff."

A disgusted look on her face, Donna shook her head. "Men."

"They're all liars," Brooke finished for her and walked out of the room, heading for the family room.

"Big, fat liars," Jackie added scornfully, following her.

At that, the redhead nodded and grabbed a bottle of wine she had been eyeing. "Yep. And crybabies."

"Big, fat crybabies!" Jackie growled as she sat down on the couch.

Brooke took a fierce bite off her sandwich. "You've got that right."

Seething, Jackie swiped the bottle of wine from Donna's hand. "Gimme that…"

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **1:57 PM**

Rising fast out of a deep, groggy sleep, Hyde opened his eyes to the sound of a vacuum. He looked around his bedroom. "What the hell?" Knowing better by now, he sat up slowly and heard the machine turn off. And within seconds, Jessica walked into his room and set some folded clothes down.

"Oh, hey, baby. I'm glad you're awake. I need to give you your drops." He only stared her, falling back into dread. She was wearing one of his concert tees, a small, white, nearly-see-through one, and that was all. Jessica raised her eyebrows at his cowering gaze. "Do you think you're going to be awake for a while this time?" she asked, walking over with a strained smile.

"Uh… I think so," he responded cagily, praying for her to keep away.

"Well, good." But God wasn't that kind to him. He was on his own again today, forced to fight her off with his own medicated wits as she climbed the bed, straddled him, and began to rub his chest. "Because I hate having to miss you when you're right here."

All he could do was watch her movements and be ready for the next one. But he wasn't as scared of her as he had been yesterday. And Jackie had made not one attempt to contact him, leaving with the last word, a denial. She didn't want him. But Jessica, with her sweet, adoring smile and rockin' body, did. Always did…

* * *

 **Kelso Household**

 **3:46 PM**

Tired from dealing with the rain and a blocked highway, Eric and Fez stepped up to Brooke's front door, mind-weary. Eric raised his hand to knock but Fez stopped him.

"Wait. Do you hear that?"

 _You're makin' me go  
Then making me stay  
Why do you hurt me so bad?_

Eric listened but only heard the soft sound of rain pouring. "Hear what?"

"The sound of a man's balls being danced on."

"What?"

"That is Pat Benatar," Fez explained. "And _that,"_ He pointed inside the house. "is the anthem of angry ladies everywhere. They're probably in there, naked and dancing around Kelso's severed head." Fez gazed in adoration. "His beautiful severed head."

Eric pitched a single eyebrow at the prospect. "Naked, you say?"

Fez thought it over and nodded. "I hear you my friend," he smiled. "Let's go."

"It's…" Eric turned the knob and grinned evilly, "unlocked." Together, they went in, finally entering into the dangerous, but tempting sounds of female unity and male loathing, all wrapped up into one spunky ass song. Fez tipped his head at Eric, directing him to look over. And there they were, dancing, clothed and not around any severed heads. "Damn. But wait…" Eric whispered, moving his head to and fro, following the girls' movement, "It's still pretty hot. Keep moving."

Gingerly, the men skulked across the living room and peered through the kitchen into the family room. Confused by what he was witnessing, Eric frowned. "What are they doing?"

Fez pointed. "Oh, see Jackie is Pat Benatar while Brooke and Donna are her back-up whores. Like in the video."

Swaying her hips, Jackie rocked from side to side and took a few steps forward as she popped her hairbrush into the air and caught, bringing it to her mouth.

" _We are young! Heartache to heartache, we stand! No promises, no demands! Love is battlefield!"_

Brooke and Donna watched each other, giggling at their synchronized movements, while the smallest girl sang her heart out up front.

Flabbergasted, Eric tapped Fez. "Is this what they do when we're not around?"

"I don't know, but I hope so." The foreigner watched in absolute amazement. "We need to start investing in some of that high-tech spy equipment." Eric nodded as the girls all flopped onto the couch, exhausted and laughing. "No!" Fez screamed out. "Don't stop!"

"Fez," Eric rebuked.

The girls all looked over as Fez ducked, leaving only Eric standing there alone like a stunned forest animal. "Eric!"

"What…No…" He looked down and saw Fez, snickering on the floor. "Fez! You suck! Get up!"

Caught, both men simply swaggered into the family room. "Fancy show," Fez complimented. "We have tickets for the second one. So, you all better grease up."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Sit down, pig."

"OK." Eric sat and suddenly had a Jackie in his face, her eyes wide. He furrowed his brow. "Wha..." He looked at Donna. "What is she doing?"

Jackie simply stared at him. "Did you go to Steven's?"

Slowly, he let his eyes wander over to her without shifting his head. No sudden movements. That's what always worked best with animals in the wild. "Yes," he answered warily.

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Well? What were they doing? Did they look sweaty or out of breath? What was she wearing?"

"Oh, I can tell you that," Fez cut in. "She was wearing one of Hyde's t-shirts and a pair of cut-off shorts. Very sexy."

"Fez!" Jackie shouted, reaching over and smacking him in the head. "She is not sexy!"

"She isn't?"

"No!"

Fez cowered. "Okay."

Jackie returned her concentration to Eric. "Eric, what were they doing? Did Michael show up?" She gasped. "Did Steven say anything about me? Why aren't they answering the phone?"

"Enough!" Eric sang, scooting back. "Relax. No, Kelso didn't show up there. Jessica was putting drops in his ears. No, they didn't look sweaty or out of breath. And she said that she hadn't heard the phone ring once since she got home and that she'd check the line. Oh, and no, he didn't say anything about you. But she did look hot in Hyde's t-shirt." Eric stuck out his tongue at Fez. "It was a little see-through."

"Oh, really?" Donna folded her arms. "Tell me all about it, Eric."

Eric's grin fell. "No, thank you."

Jackie folded her arms, too, glaring at the twerp. "Well, whatever, I'm glad you're here."

"Well, I hope you're glad _you're_ here because we're trapped," he said.

Brooke scrunched her nose. "Huh?"

"Yes, we are all stuck here until the roads open back up," Fez explained. "There's one highway lane open getting into the city, but they're all closed going out from the flooding."

"It's that bad out there today?" Brooke asked.

"Yep," Eric assured her. "It took us an hour and a half to get here."

Everyone looked around at each other. The girls drunk. The boys not. But that could be changed. Easily. Donna handed Eric a bottle of wine from the table. "We've got eight more."

Already drunk herself, Brooke smiled. "Test bottles for the wedding we're not having."

"Oh, man," Eric groaned. "You're canceling the wedding?" Upon her solemn nod, he shook his head. "What is it with this group and weddings? Me and Donna, Fez and Laurie, Hyde and Sam…"

"Watch it, Eric," Jackie grumbled.

"And now Brooke and Kelso," he added, ignoring her. "I think we're cursed."

"Yes, we are." Jackie stood up. "But you know how we can break that curse?" She rotated her hands, smiling as she coaxed the group on. "You guys can call Steven for me."

"Yeah," Eric looked up. "No."

"Eric!"

"Come on, Jackie. If Hyde wants to talk to you, he'll call. I'm not getting involved in this. But," he sighed, "trust me, he's…he's a little confused right now, OK? He'll call."

Deflating, Jackie sat down on the couch and placed her head on Fez's shoulder. "But he doesn't know where I am…"

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **7:58 PM**

Having had spent the day in bed, Hyde was comfortably settled in. By his bedside, a couple of lamps lit the room. A small TV table sat next to him and held all the amenities he needed: pain pills, orange soda, and the remote control to a small 13" television that sat on his armoire on the far wall. In theory, he should have been content, satisfied in his pharmaceutically manufactured high. But he couldn't relax, because, to his left, sat his girlfriend, wearing something flimsy, her bare legs stretched out, giggling as she watched Laverne and Shirley.

He felt like he was waiting for something, holding out for just a little while. Jackie was flaky. That was a fact. But it had been two days, and he'd heard nothing from her. Why he was waiting for her, waiting to begin his life again, he wasn't sure. But like always, he was being made a fool, and it was beginning to piss him off. After all, when all was said and done, there was only one girl here with him. Only one who _wanted_ him. And he was starting to feel at ease with her again. In fact, tomorrow, he decided, he would put everything into repairing his relationship with Jess.

Hyde settled into his bed, sinking down some and began to relax until the blonde laughed and grabbed his thigh, making him jump.

His reaction left Jessica just as startled as he. "Okay, that's it." She sat up. "What is going on with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Well, how about the fact that you jump about ten feet every time I touch you. I've been home for two days and you've barely kissed me. You won't touch me. What's the matter?"

Hyde slammed his hands down to his side. "I'm sick."

"I understand that," she said. "But did you miss me at all? The whole time I was gone, you never called, and every time I called you, you blew me off. Yet I still couldn't wait to get home to see you. I thought you'd be happy to see me. But you're obviously not."

"Jess, I'm fuckin' happy to see you, okay?" he snapped. "I'm…I feel like crap. It's not exactly putting me in the mood."

Jessica shook her head. "You know, when I first got home, I kept my mouth shut—about your attitude, about your ex-girlfriend being here, wearing your clothes. All because you were sick..."

"I already told you, Mrs. Forman sent her."

"Yeah," Jessica said. "That seems to be the official story." She got off the bed and turned. "Do you even want me here? Should I leave?"

Hyde only stared at her, pissed for basically not buying his bullshit. His eyes had grown cold as she spoke, and he knew that he could end this whole thing in a second, that he could win against her in any argument. Because the plain fact was, she cared more. And she hurt easier.

But he stayed silent, unable to hurt her. He was wrong. He was guilty.

"Fine," she said. "I'll go. You can take care of your damn self."

"Hey." Hyde grabbed her hand. She had one advantage, it seemed. He felt guilty. And there was nothing surer to bring him to his knees than feeling guilty about fucking someone else. He had never lied about something this big before. He had always confessed, freed himself of the pain by pushing it onto the other person. Holding this one in was eating him alive.

"Let me go, Steven," Jessica said calmly.

"No," Hyde refused just as calmly. "I won't, 'cause you're pretty fast and I have a headache." He sighed at her annoyed expression. "Come on, Jess. What do you want me to say?"

"Oh, I don't know, how about, _'Hey, Jess. Glad you're home. I missed you. Thank you for always putting up with my crap."_

He watched her vent her disappointment with him, wanting so badly to apologize for falling for another while she was gone. It wasn't personal. It was history. Something that altered him long before she came along, warm memories that even the coldest parts of his mind could not destroy.

"Jess, I'm sorry. I just had a weird few weeks. But I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Just…just give me some time, okay?" He let go of her hand. "It's not you."

Her expression softened as she sat down beside him. "Then kiss me," she said. "Tell me you missed me. Please. Because I missed you _so_ much, and I need to hear the same. I need more."

* * *

 **Kelso Household**

 **8:04 PM**

Eric stared at the ceiling, obviously on the verge of a self-inflicted injury as Jackie sang dramatically near his head. _"I'm all out of love! I'm so lost without you! I know you were right! Believing for so long!"_ She raised the pitch of her voice to an almost intolerable level. _"I'm all out of love! What am I without you? I can't be too late_ _to tell you I was so wro-o-o-ng…"_

"Alri-i-i-ight!" Eric screamed. "I'll call! Just stop singing! Have mercy, woman," he sneered, walking over to the La-Z-Boy chair next to the phone and taking a seat. "And I thought your voice couldn't get more inhuman."

Jackie smacked her hands together. "Okay! Now just act like you're calling to talk about one of your annoying, Eric-y girl problems."

Eric nodded. "Well, what a coincidence, I'm having an annoying girl problem right now."

"See. _There_ you go," she encouraged as Donna, Brooke and Fez all laughed. "OK, call. Call!"

"Alright. Alright. Hang on. Why should I call for _you,_ anyway?" His expression displaying the change in his mindset, Eric narrowed his eyes. "What are your intentions with my friend, demon?" He sat forward at her. "I call him over here and what?" He pointed to his own head. "You're going to mess with his mind again?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "No."

"No," Eric said excitedly. "You're going to put a hex or a whammy on him, right?"

"No. Eric! I made a mistake when I said no. I miss him. I... I _love_ him. And Steven feels the same. I know it. I mean, he was _right_ there when I blossomed into the beautiful woman you see today. He didn't even stand a chance."

Donna closed her eyes and nodded. "Way to be humble, Jackie."

"Thank you, Donna."

"Look, Jackie," the redhead added. "I kind of have to agree with Eric on this one."

"Shocker," Fez mumbled.

"Shut up, Fez," she snapped, turning back to Jackie. "Now just listen to me. You and Hyde have only been fooling around for what, a couple of weeks now? I mean, Jackie, really think about this. You're going to give Colin up for a few weeks of sex with Hyde? All of us have watched you and Hyde do nothing but argue for the last five years."

"That's because of all the sexual tension, Donna…" Dispirited by the blank expression on Donna's face, Jackie threw up her hands. "Oh, forget it. You and Eric wouldn't know anything about it. It's something we attractive people have to deal with every day."

Brooke shook her head. "Jackie, that's not helping."

Jackie inhaled deeply. There had to be something they would understand. "Oh." Her eyes widened. She had it. "Okay, remember when you and Eric broke up that first time and you couldn't have sex together and you were at each other's throats?"

"Yeah."

"Well… just quadruple that, you know, to account for Steven's and my good looks, and it's like a nuclear bomb going off!" Jackie's face turned serious. "Oh, and plus…I think maybe we still loved each other."

Donna creased her eyebrows. "Jackie, the last time you two were in the same room before all this he called you a troll."

"My air was sticking up like this, Donna. He did me a real favor that day." Huffing in frustration, Jackie got to her feet. "God. Look, okay. There are things that you guys don't know about."

"Like what," Fez asked.

The little brunette's expression turned stoic. "Fine. Alright, I'll tell you. But you guys have to promise not to tell Steven I told you." Ready to reveal a few secrets, Jackie walked to the far end of the living room and turned around. All eyes were on her. Just like she liked it. "Okay. You guys remember that guy Chris I dated a couple years ago?"

"The one with the Blazer?" Eric asked.

"Yeah. Him. Well…One night, he hit me."

Donna put her hands up. "What?"

"That's where I got this," Jackie explained, pointing to the small scar on her temple. Fez leaned forward to look as she showed him.

The foreigner shook his head. "My Jackie has an imperfection."

Sadly, Jackie nodded.

"You said you got into a scuffle with an ex-cheerleader over that pink alligator bag," Donna reminded her.

"I lied."

"Jackie."

"Just listen, Donna. He was getting really aggressive, and I got scared and locked myself in my room. I called everyone. You guys, Fez, and no one was home. But Steven _was_. And he ran." She turned her attention to the man by the phone. "He ran, Eric, all the way to my house. And he almost killed Chris. I had to stop him from kicking his head into a curb…"

Everyone but Brooke, who knew the story, dropped their jaws to the floor.

"He saved me that night." Jackie shook her head, suddenly disgusted with herself for walking away from him two nights before. "He still cared."

"Wow," Donna uttered. "Huh. I can't believe he never told us that."

"Yeah, well, he stayed with me, and held me that night, and he said he wanted me back…" Playing with her fingers, she lowered her head. "But I told him no. And you should've seen the look on his face. He needed me, and I turned him away. Back then, you guys, that's when we weren't ready for each other. I made the right decision. Carol made me realize that. But now, I think now, maybe we are ready. And I think I might've made the wrong decision the other night."

"Wait," Fez grimaced. "Who the hell's Carol?"

Jackie tossed her head back. "Ugh. It's a long story." When she looked back down, everyone had their arms folded. They were waiting, and they weren't taking no for an answer. "Oh, fine." Jackie inhaled deeply and blew all of her breath out in dramatic form. "OK, it all started with this horribly rude gangster named Elmer, I think, or Wilmer or something stupid like that. Anyway, I didn't like him. He had no manners and he was threatening my poor Steven. So…" Jackie grinned proudly. "I sacrificed my pink Dior umbrella, and Steven fought off eleven vicious gang members all by himself, just to defend me." Her shoulders rose in the memory. "He told me to run. But I didn't. But he was going to die for me. Isn't that wonderful."

"Jackie, that's horrible," Donna commented. "What happened?"

Sneering, Jackie waved Donna off. "Oh, I knew you wouldn't see the romance in it." She turned to attention to Eric and Fez instead, who both appeared absolutely enthralled. "Anyway, it was pouring rain and Steven punched one and then he punched another. Oh, you guys, it was so sexy." Her eyes narrowed at the sexy memory. "And then bam! One of the…"

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **8:15 PM**

In one swift motion, Hyde raised his arms to the ceiling as his t-shirt rose up his torso and then his lips were back on hers. His body fell immediately back onto the bed while hers followed, mounting him, straddling his hips. And into his mouth, her tongue and soft moans sweetly dissolved.

But just then, as if a voice had shoved a wedge between them, shame arrived.

Hyde grabbed her cheeks gently and pulled back a little. "Wait." He swallowed. "Wait." He was finding it trickier than ever, though, denying her, and was starting to forget why he would even want to. The way she was looking at him, glossed lips swollen and parted while her breath came in heaves, making her naked chest expand against his. "Jesus, Jess." She kissed him again, her lips so soft and warm and... "Wait." In her eyes was incredible lust. Just for him. "Wait."

"What's wrong?" Jessica asked him, exasperated.

She wanted him. Only him.

Hyde shook his head. "You know what? Nothing," he said and kissed her deep and hard, right as the phone _began to_ ring…

* * *

 **Kelso Household**

Eric sat patiently on the other end, letting the line ring and ring as Jackie paced in front of him.

"Answer," he heard her pleading to herself quietly. "Answer."

He waited and waited, ring after ring, counting… three… four…five…

"Oh, please, Steven..."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: The Lovers, The Dreamers, And Me**

 **Music:**

Maybe – the Chantels

The Rainbow Connection – Kermit the Frog/Brooke

* * *

 _August 9, 1977_

 _Southport Park Beach, Lake Michigan_

" _Fez!" Jackie had screeched happily while the tanned and shiny foreigner picked her squirming body up in the midst of a tickle. "Ew, you're all slippery!" she laughed as he carried her a few inches through the bright white sand, their bare, bronzed skin shimmering in unison under the hot August sun. Immediately, Jackie eyes zeroed in on Hyde, who was watching, his foot tapping. Unable to hold back her smirk at the slight irritation on his cherry red face, Jackie patted Fez's arm. "Fezzie, put me down."_

 _Fez laughed, oblivious, "OK," and set her down._

 _Trotting through the sand in her teeny-weeny bikini, Jackie plopped herself beneath the umbrella between her sun burnt super-secret make-out buddy and a sullen Eric Forman. She looked a while at the morose, skinny boy and sighed in sympathy. "Oh, come on, Eric," she pouted, patting his jean-clad thigh. "How can you not smile at the beach? It's the beach! Pretty girls in little bikinis and lots n lots of ice cream," she said temptingly. "And me!"_

 _Eric simply shrugged and continued to draw in the sand. Giving Hyde a brief, but sorrowful look, Jackie tilted her head to read the skinny boy's words: 'Eric loves Donna.'_

 _Jackie pouted at the other two men who watched her. "Oh, Eric. She'll be back. I'm sure when she gets done with all those hot, exciting California boys, she'll really start to miss… you know, her boring old life with you." Jackie smiled encouragingly and nodded, looking once again at Hyde, who was shaking his head, and then at Fez, who was scowling at her. "What?" she asked with shameful eyes. "I'm…I'm just saying," she explained earnestly. "She'll be back... Right?" Jackie looked down at his artwork one more time. "She'll come back for you, Eric." He looked up at her finally. "I promise…"_

 **Saturday**

 **November 17, 1984**

 **Kelso Household**

 **8:37 PM**

Thin fingers, painted at their tips in a warm, harvest-apple red, traced the worn, frayed edges of a record sleeve. Jacquelyn Beulah Burkhart had slipped into this earth on April 4, 1960, three years after the date on this old recording—1957, a great year to be alive, she was told, and her mother's senior year of high school. Jackie smiled and pulled its vinyl disk out, glancing at Brooke's bedroom door to make sure she had shut it.

She had.

The sleeve's cover had been a familiar sight during her flip through Brooke's collection, having had also been part of her mother's when she was a child. Jackie smiled. Her mother, so young and beautiful in those days, and still un-jaded, had spent every minute with her, just being a mom. While her dad was at work, they would play dress up and drape their bodies in her mother's beautiful fifties dresses, their feet strapped into saddle shoes and French pumps. But best of all, her mother would use her long nails to gently pull their hair high, glossing their cheeks with blush and their lips with colors that made them feel like the pretty girls they were.

For hours, they would stare into a full-length mirror. "See," Pam would smile and say, her eyes still shining from the bright glow of youth and innocence. "You're the most beautiful girl in the whole world, Jacquelyn. Make them come to you."

Still hearing the resonance of her mother's voice in her head, Jackie placed the record on the turntable and aimed the spindle. And when she looked up, the world around her was suddenly donned in Technicolor and the soft-edged shapes of her childhood.

In the mirror before her, a beautiful young girl stared back, covered from head to toe in the shining fabric of her mother's classic yellow prom gown. Her hair was piled high off her slender neck and her cheeks glistened like apples to match her fingertips. And in the center of that rouged perfection, a tear rolled.

 _Maybe, if I pray every night  
You'll come back to me.  
Maybe, if I cry everyday  
You'll come back to stay..._

A gentle bat of her eyelids invoked her mother's high school gym, alive and decorated in blue and white streamers. Oh, the stories she would tell. How the girls looked, how the boys responded, how the large room sparkled in the darkness with spinning globes of light that could make even the hardest of souls melt from the sheer romance of it all. So much showmanship in the air. Such chivalry in their hearts. Such little time left.

It was the way men were supposed to be, her mother taught her. Decent in sharp-lined suits and the gallant expressions of their fathers before them. They all had it within them, she'd said. Even the ones with the jagged edges. For the right girl, anyway. Jackie knew, though, that there weren't many left willing to reach that far inside. But in her mother's fashionable youth, every man had been appreciative of a woman's thoughtful hand.

A smile drying her slow-coming tears, Jackie closed her eyes and began to sway, allowing the silken material of her dress to slide between her fingers. She was feeling quixotic as she imagined all the possibilities. Steven in a three-piece suit, courtly in his manner, stoic, patient, and most of all, in love. Deeply. With her.

To her left, a door opened. And when she looked, there was a boy, dressed impeccably in that three-piece.

"Hey." Eric smiled. "My mom listens to this."

Jackie smiled back. "Mine, too."

As he sauntered forward, he held out his hand. "May I?"

She offered her own white-gloved hand as the intoxicating sting of her tears returned. "Please."

Jackie exhaled, choking on the reverie as her friend pulled her close. She placed her head against his chest and inhaled a clearer breath, following his lead when he began to sway with her body, locked securely inside his arms. Neither said a word. This would only be between them—experienced members of the broken-heart club, the romantic souls of the universe.

Eric kept with every other beat as they danced in the middle of Brooke's bedroom. He suspected he knew what was happening inside her. He knew the feeling well, had known all along, and having seen them together, he hadn't given up like she thought. In fact, he had persisted after she ran off to be alone.

 _Maybe if I pray every night  
You'll come back to me  
Maybe If I cry every day  
You'll come back to stay  
Ohhhh, maybe…_

Eric hugged her tighter. Her eyes were lost tonight, blinded by her own volition. She had removed herself from the current world, escaped in self-preservation. But he had tracked her down, happy to meet her this far back in time. For he brought news from the present.

Bringing his lips to Jackie's ear, Eric pulled her back from the safety of a past that did not belong to her. "He answered the phone." Jackie looked up, stunned as Eric smiled. "He's on his way."

Jackie lit up and hugged him. "Oh, thank you, Eric! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you…"

* * *

Five Minutes Later

"What am I going to do?"

"Jackie, you're wearing out Brooke's carpet. Calm down," Donna chastised, standing up from Brooke's bed to bring the nervous brunette safely to her butt. "Sit." And, on the bed, Jackie sat, chewing her nails and staring ahead into the infinite darkness of her indecision. "When you see him, it'll come to you," the redhead added quietly.

Jackie shook her head. "No. I mean, what am I going to wear? I didn't bring any of my Steven-enticing paraphernalia. My curlers, a see-through blouse, my watermelon lip gloss." Suddenly, Jackie gasped loudly. "Toe ring." Distressed, she turned to Brooke. "Oh my God. He's not going to want me."

Brooke stepped forward and took Jackie by the shoulders, moving her toward her vanity. "Alright. Relax. Sit down right here." Slyly behind Jackie's back, as Jackie sat down and studied her own reflection, Brooke directed Donna toward her closet and began brushing the worried girl's hair. "I've got curlers, and maybe I've got a toe ring, and some smaller stuff that might fit you. Okay? We're going to make you real pretty."

Having a thought, Jackie deflated in her seat. "But I already _am_ real pretty, Brooke. That was never the problem…" She focused on the mirror. At the perplexed girl she saw staring back. "Was it? I've always been beautiful, and we still didn't work. He just…" Jackie's bewilderment turned into a deep scowl. "Ugh, he's always looking at what's on the inside."

Donna chuckled. "Jackie, I doubt Hyde would have ever given you a second look if you weren't beautiful. I'm sure when it comes down to it, the most important thing to him is that you're hot."

At that, Jackie finally smiled, relieved, and placed her hand on her heart. "Ohhh, you really think so, Donna?"

Smiling, amused at her friend's incongruity, Donna shook her head. "Oh, sure. I mean, I hate to bring this up. But he did marry a stripper. He's not as deep as you think."

Jackie frowned again, thoughtfully this time. The reminder had actually triggered the beginning flickers of an epiphany. Her brain was twisting and flipping old memories to make them fit into a single Hyde puzzle, putting him into perspective, opening doors and windows to concepts she'd never even considered before.

"But… that wasn't him, Donna. He…" Certain, Jackie shook her head. "He cares about stuff. Deep stuff." Jackie's shoulders rose confidently as a giant smile appeared. With a renewed outlook, she turned to her reflection in the mirror. "I just have to make myself beautiful on the outside _and_ the inside. That's what he wants." Staring back into Brooke's mirror, Jackie pushed inside her gaze to find what it was that he loved about her once. That maybe he still loved. "Me," she realized. "Something about _just_ me." Quickly, she shot a pleading look at Brooke. "Can you put my hair up on one side with that pearl clip of yours?"

"So, is no one going to watch the movie?" Fez walked in saying with Eric following in behind. "It's all ready to go."

Jackie looked at the clock again and then at Eric. "No," she responded. "When is he going to be here, Eric? What did he say?"

Eric's eyes shifted around the room at the waiting faces. "Well… I'm not going to lie," he said, walking over and taking a seat beside Donna. "He wasn't happy. He just said he'd be here soon."

Jackie frowned. "What exactly did he say?"

"Oh, I told him you were here and he…" Eric paused.

"Eric," Donna pressed.

"He said 'Yeah, so?' And then… I told him how you'd been trying to call him all weekend. And he said 'For what?"

Jackie nodded slowly, pondering, listening. "OK, so was it like ' _For what?_ " she snarled, imitating the most irritated version of Hyde. "Or was it like… curious? Like happy-curious." She smiled optimistically.

"Yeeeeah," Eric said. "I don't think Hyde's even capable of 'happy-curious'. It was more like 'pissed-off-but-interested."

Jackie raised her eyebrows with a self-assured expression. "Oh, I can handle his 'pissed-off-but-interested' veneer. I cracked that code long before Jessica. So, then what did he say?"

"Well, then I just said that you wanted to talk to him. And he asked if we were all going to be here all night, and I said 'Yeah' and then he asked whether or not Kelso had come home yet and I said 'No' and then he just said, 'I'll be right there,' and that was it. He hung up."

Jackie sighed. "That's good, right?" She looked around at Fez, then Brooke, then Donna, and then back at Eric. The only noises were the simple rhythmic trickles of rain hitting the roof and the concrete just outside the bedroom's slider door. "Right?"

"Yeah," Brooke answered quickly, shrugging, while Fez and Eric followed suit.

Donna nodded.

"Donna?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah," the redhead said. "It's good, Jackie...I think."

Jackie smiled and clapped her hands together. "OK, then! So then let's make me pretty!" She narrowed her eyes, determined. "And make him wish he never stepped one scroungy boot in Las Vegas…"

* * *

9:24 PM

They, whoever it is that 'they' may be, at any given point in time, always say that time flies when you're having fun. But they never mention, or offer any words of wisdom on, the excruciating manner in which it passes when you're waiting for the rest of your life to begin… or end, for that matter. 'They' just don't ever tell you that time seems to crawl, wearing itself out so much that it sleeps and rests and drives you mad with its indolence.

Lying on her side, with her head in Donna's lap, Jackie sighed, staring miserably at the mundane flicker of the television screen, all dressed up with no Steven J. Hyde to prance circles around. It was just another dull, stormy night in Milwaukee without him.

On the other end of the sectional, Brooke slept, while Fez, and Eric, who sat comfortably in Kelso's La-Z-Boy, munched on popcorn, enjoying the dreamy idealism of Fantasy Island.

Fez smiled sadly, but fondly. "Kelso loves this show." The foreigner looked around at his friends. "Do you think he's watching it right now? Wherever he is."

"I'm sure he is, Fezzie," Jackie mumbled, closing her eyes at the gentle way Donna was combing through her hair. For a girl who had probably chewed her nails down to the nub, she was doing a great job. A wonderful job tonight, in fact, just being a friend. Jackie wished she could enjoy it more. She couldn't decide whether she wanted time to stop or hurry up and end the night already. He obviously wasn't coming. And the night no longer held the same magic.

A minute later, Eric burst into laughter with Fez, over something on the TV. Donna soon joined in. Everyone seemed to so happy and content, except for Brooke, who lay listlessly on the other couch. Jackie closed her eyes, deciding she would try falling asleep.

Just then, someone knocked on the front door.

"Oh my God." Jackie clamored into a sitting position. "He's here! Eric, go answer the door."

"Huh?" He pointed at Mr. Rourke. "But I'm watching…"

"GO!" she demanded. "Get up! Go!"

A little flustered, Eric simply got to his feet and did as he was told, grumbling his way to the front door as Jackie and Donna leaned forward and watched from the family room.

Rain poured as someone answered the door to Kelso and Brooke's house. It was Eric. "Man, are you okay?"

"No," Hyde answered, stepping inside. He walked past his friend and turned around as Eric shut the door. "Man, it took me an hour and a half to get here." His lips pursed. "Did you know that the cops shut down the eastbound lane out of the city?"

Eric cringed. "Well…"

Hyde's jaw tightened, flexing as he tried to restrain himself from killing his best friend. He swallowed some of the anger down. "Man… To get back now I'm going to have to cut all the way around through Kenosha and then take the 115 back to Point Place. It's going to take me all damn night. This is your fault."

"What, why," Eric argued. "You said 'I'm on my way' and hung up."

Hyde sighed. "Crap." Behind him, he heard footsteps and turned, locking eyes with Jackie. He couldn't resist the inclination to notice that she looked beautiful. All dressed up for him. Her hair pulled away from her face, the way he liked it. And that thick feeling that swarmed around thoughts of her lately returned, as if she hadn't just rejected him two nights before.

"Hey, Steven," Jackie muttered nervously, her eyes dancing between his. She was moving toward him.

Hyde wasn't sure what it was that had prompted his cruelty, what it was about her that charged that side of himself, but he returned his eyes to Eric and decided to send her a certain message, one this girl never seemed to get in all the years he'd known her.

"Is Kelso back yet?" he asked Eric, ignoring her completely as she approached his side and tried to grab his hand.

Sensing the sudden shift in the group dynamic, Eric glanced at Jackie and then at Hyde. "Um, no."

Pulling his hand away from her grasp, Hyde gestured with his eyes for Eric to follow him as he turned and headed for the family room. As expected, Eric followed, leaving Jackie and Donna to themselves.

Jackie threw up her hands in frustration. She lowered her head and glossed over the way her body was decorated for him. Fresh nail polish. Flowing skirt. Pretty top, not see-through, but one she knew he would like, and a single, shining toe ring that sparkled up at her from her bare foot. "This was all a mistake."

Donna rolled her eyes. "You give up way too easily. Just give it a minute." She put her hands up. "Look, regardless of what I or anyone else thinks about this creepy and unnatural thing you and Hyde have always had for each other, you two need to talk. You need to figure out, once and for all, what you're both doing, without Jessica in the room."

"Isn't it obvious, Donna?" Jackie said. "We're not doing anything. It's like we take one step forward, then two steps back, three steps forward, two steps back, and now we've just jumped back to 'Start."

Donna sighed "You are such a drama queen, Jackie. Come on. Let's just go sit down. You have to learn to read between Hyde's lines. He's so simple, it's not even funny."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"I mean, he obviously didn't come here to ask about Kelso. He's just ignoring you to let you know that he's mad at you for rejecting him. But he came here for _you_." Donna smiled at the blatancy of it all. "It's his pride, Jackie. You just need to, somehow, get past it and talk to him."

Jackie nodded. "You're right. Okay. Let's go."

She headed for the family room, escorted by Donna. Her hand fidgeted as she tried to put her game-face back on. As she stepped through the kitchen, she watched Hyde glance up at her and then back at his friends. He was talking to them, something about the rain, and once Jackie reached them, she sat down, right beside him, making the perfumed air around her breeze toward him.

The room turned quiet.

"So… I heard you're sick," Donna said to Hyde, sitting down beside Eric. "That sucks."

Hyde looked over at her, obviously pissed, and nodded. "Yeah. I should be home in my bed, right now…" He looked squarely at Jackie. "With my girlfriend." Swiftly, he stood. "Speaking of, I need to make a phone call."

He walked around to the back of the couch to a desk and picked up the phone, quickly dialing and waiting. "Hey. It's me… Yeah, I just got here… No… Yeah, I just found that out… A cop told me on the way up here… Yep… Yep… No way in hell. I'm going to find a way home... Tonight, I promise…"

"Well," Jackie uttered softly to her friends. "You guys should be happy. You were right all along. This whole thing with Steven and I was clearly a big mistake." Feeling tears of humiliation coming on, Jackie made the quick decision to flee, getting up from the couch and running past Hyde, in the narrow space between the back of the couch and the desk, to get to Brooke's bedroom.

Hyde shut his eyes as he caught her wind and when he opened them again, Donna's green eyes were glaring at him. Beside her, Eric watched him, disapproving. He could feel their judgment. It was all around him. Jackie's pain. His own. All of it. "Yeah," he told Jessica. "I'll see you when I get home."

 _"I love you,"_ she said sweetly into his ear.

"I know. Bye."

Donna stood up. "Hyde. What the hell did you go and do that for? You jerk. Don't you even want to hear what Jackie had to say?"

"Not really." He saw the expression on her face and knew that he felt the same way she did. She was disgusted with him, and so was he. But it had hit him on the car ride over. He had been out of his mind thinking they could be anything other than enemies. It just worked better that way. They both could agree on it. And it seemed that everyone else could, too. "What the hell do you guys care anyway? You said, yourself, this was a mistake. You've been saying it for years."

"Yeah, and I also said that I didn't want her getting hurt."

Hyde took a seat on the couch. "She'll get over it."

"That's not the point, Hyde," Donna snapped. "She spent an hour just getting dolled up to see you. And you promised her that no matter what her answer was, you wouldn't treat her like shit anymore. I heard you this time. In the woods. You promised."

"I was high."

"You're always high."

"Exactly," Hyde said. "Come on, man. We all know that Jackie and I screwed up. We shouldn't have been messing around in the first place. And she's playing games with me now. She doesn't know what the hell she wants, and I'm not dealing with this crap anymore." Hyde stood up, intent on pacing. "You know, I knew better, too. On Halloween, this little voice in my head kept telling me not to get involved with her again. She fucks up your head. And did I stop? No. I just kept doing it, and doing it… and doing it."

"Alright," Donna sneered. "We get the point."

"She told me no." Hyde shrugged. "She wants _him_. What am I supposed to do? I'm not going to beg."

A few feet away, having had remained quiet through Hyde's statement, Fez nodded and sat back in his seat, turning to Hyde as he cut into the conversation. "Uh-huh. So…why did you drive an hour and a half through the rain again? For Brooke's hot cocoa?"

"Huh?" Hyde frowned. "No, I…"

"No. I don't think so," Fez interjected. "You know why? Because she doesn't have any." He folded his arms.

"Fez…"

The foreigner put up his hand. "AH! Eric and I are watching Fantasy Island."

"Why _did_ you drive all the way up here, man?" Eric asked. "Just to blow her off?"

Hyde took in a deep breath. "No." He closed his eyes and rubbed them, beyond tired. He was getting hit from all sides, feeling halfway between this world and that, and he just wanted to lie down to sleep. So, he sat once again. But while consequent thoughts of a soft mattress, the smooth, cool comfort of sheets, and the joy of never-ending slumber rolled into his mind, he let one more thought slip in, and didn't bother pushing it away. It was a memory of lying with her a few nights prior. In the van. Even if she didn't remember, he did, maybe they all did…

… _Last Tuesday Night…_

 _He had been flat on his back, aching as a metal pole that lined the bend of the van's back seat dug into his spine. But she was comfortable, her head bound to his chest as she sighed contently._

" _You're so warm, Steven." Her shoulders rose. "Mm. And comfortable." He looked down at the top of her head. She was hugging him so tightly and, thus, he hugged her back. "I feel so safe with you," she muttered softly. And somehow, he knew exactly what she was feeling. Because he was feeling it, too. The connection of their high. That bond that comes with tripping together, from anything. They were linked to each other's sides, captured in this new world until morning, with only the other to find solace in. And at that moment, only she knew him, only she saw him, and only she could know what he had gone through in his solitude. For years, he had kept himself in a painless sense of detachment. He had hated her. Loathed her. Because she had never given up. She kept insisting that he feel. That he love. And when he finally gave into her and did, letting her in, she screwed him with it. She took herself away. And left him to trip alone, without her._

 _His thoughts invoked a scowl. "Have you thought about what I said at all?"_

 _Jackie looked up, raising her head as she seemed to take notice of his irritation. "Yes, but…" She raised her palm to his cheek gently. "Steven," she whispered. "Are you really serious? I mean, you really want to be with me?"_

 _Letting its concept flow through him once more, Hyde nodded. "Yeah. I do."_

" _Why, though?" she questioned. "I mean, you never acted like you wanted me before Halloween."_

 _Hyde blew out a breath, prompting her to rise to her elbows and frown. She was staring at him and he could feel the heat of her scrutiny._

 _"It's a legitimate thing to ask, Steven. Don't huff at me."_

" _I'm not huffing."_

" _You're huffing."_

" _I guess," he said, huffing again, "because I don't know what to say. I know how I acted, Jackie."_

 _"Fine," she said, lowering her head again. "You know what; I don't want to talk about this right now. But can you promise me something?" She glanced up again._

" _What?"_

" _That no matter what my answer is, you'll always look at me like this. Like the way you are right now. Like I don't disgust you."_

 _Hyde grimaced. "You never disgusted me." He was amazed suddenly that he had actually made her buy into it. All that time. He figured they could all see right through him. "Jackie, I was so full of crap. You can't listen to me when I say things, man." His expression softened at the confused scowl she gave him. "Come on. What'd you want me to say? That you looked incredible every time I saw you. That that damn white dress you wore on Easter made you look…"_

 _Jackie smiled when he censored himself with silence. "Made me look what, Steven?"_

 _He shrugged and grinned. "You looked hot."_

 _Jackie grinned, her eyes shining happily, as she pressed a kiss to his lips. "Now was that so hard? Couldn't you have just said that on Easter?"_

 _Knowing that the idea was ridiculous, Hyde laughed, too. "Would I have gotten a kiss on Easter?"_

" _No," she sang teasingly, pinching the skin on his chest._

" _Ow."_

" _I had a boyfriend on Easter."_

" _Yeah. But… how about now? You have one now."_

 _Jackie's smile disappeared, leaving the gentle glow of her current appreciation for him. "I'm thinking about it, Steven. Okay? Just promise me that no matter what, no more hating each other, OK?" Her bottom lip pronounced itself. "It hurts too much."_

 _Hyde blinked, watching her. She acted tough a lot of the time, but she wasn't. She was vulnerable and dependent on the love of others, especially him. It was her gravest mistake. "I never hated you."_

" _You did."_

 _Countered, Hyde closed his eyes and sighed, knowing deep down that she was right. In a way, he had. He raised his hands, not really sure what else to do._

" _Promise me, Steven," Jackie pressed. "No more hating each other."_

 _"I promise…"_

Breaking through his reverie, Hyde heard Donna's voice. "Hyde."

"Damn it." He stood up and immediately began to follow Jackie's path around the couch, pointing at his friends. "If Jess calls, I'm in the bathroom and Jackie's not here. Got it?"

"Got it," Eric replied as he and Donna watched him disappear through the kitchen.

Donna scoffed, raising her eyebrows. "Wow. What a mess."

"Yep," Eric agreed.

"They're not going to resolve this peacefully and go their separate ways, are they?"

"Noooo…"

 _March 16, 1978_

 _A seventeen-year-old Jackie looked up at her boyfriend. He was so handsome and being unexpectedly wonderful tonight. On her chest, she could feel his thick fingers delicately run down the middle of her lapel, between her breasts and over her stomach._

" _There," he said and lowered his hand. "It gets cold in here."_

 _Jackie looked back down at her pajamas. "It's just for this one night. It's just, you know, 'cause of that stupid movie. I'm usually fine sleeping there."_

 _Hyde nodded. "Jackie, you shouldn't be sleeping alone in that house at all."_

" _Well, what am I supposed to do? I have nowhere else to go."_

" _You have this place," Hyde said. "And you're not going back to that house until your parents get home."_

" _They're going to be home soon," she assured him. "Any day now."_

" _Yeah, right. That's what you said two months ago."_

 _Jackie sighed. "Look. I don't need anyone's help okay. I'm fine. I am so sick of people looking at me like, 'Oh, look at poor little Jackie Burkhart. Her dad went to jail and her mom's a whore. She has such a pathetic life." Her eyes casting downwards, Jackie shook her head and then looked back up at him with fierce conviction. "Well, I am not pathetic! My life is great! I'm rich! And beautiful! And nobody should feel sorry for me."_

" _I'm not feeling sorry for you," he responded matter-of-factly. "I'm just trying to protect from all the sicko predators out there. That's it. You're my chick, and I'm not letting you sleep in an empty house on the other side of town. I'm just not."_

" _Whoa, wait, wait," Jackie argued. "You're not_ _letting_ _me? Steven, you can't make me_ _do_ _anything."_

" _You're right. You're an independent woman. You want to sleep there then I'll just go sleep there with you. Then I'll get busted, and then I'll get kicked out again. But if that's how you want it, let me just go grab my stuff…" Hyde started to move past her when she stopped him._

" _No, wait." Jackie pushed him down back into place. "Fine. We'll stay here. But I'm_ _only_ _doing this so that you don't get into trouble. Not because I need help."_

" _Cool," Hyde said, playing along as he peeled off his t-shirt, lay down, and smiled. With a smirk, he patted the empty piece of mattress beside him._

 _Jackie smiled. "Cool," she said sitting down beside him. "Let's just go to sleep then."_

" _We're going to sleep?"_

" _I don't know. Are we?"_

 _Hyde grinned. "Can you control your dirty urges?"_

" _Can you?" Jackie giggled._

" _Hell no."_

 _Having a thought, primarily based on the smug expression on his face, Jackie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. A small smile peeked through. "You planned this, didn't you?"_

 _Hyde grinned. "Yep. I had your dad indicted; your mother shipped off to Mexico and made sure Forman put on that zombie movie at 10PM sharp." He shook his head, proud of himself. "And here you are, babe. Worked like a charm…"_

* * *

9:47 PM

Six years later, Jackie was sitting on the edge of Brooke's bed, in the near darkness, quiet as a breeze, just letting sporadic waves of sadness rise and fall through her chest. From one second to the next, the tides were changing, guided by the differing thoughts that swarmed through her mind. The left side of her brain would try and force Colin's image. But it just wouldn't come. He had taken too long this time. And too much had happened. But it always seemed as if moments like these favored him. He seemed normal and warm and like home. Home being sometime in October, or any time other than now. Back when life was effortless. It made her ache for his comfort.

But her right side, the romantic, self-tortured side of herself, continued to punish her with Hyde's name. That side was cruel. It wanted her to suffer and cry in the most dramatic fashion. It wanted her to think of all the reasons she should. It gave her all the best parts of him to languish over. It made him an angel. A dream. But he was a beast, too—her mind's representation of him being so malevolent when he wouldn't give himself over. Those were the two sides of him, hot and cold, left and right, and neither was hers.

Below, her feet were dangling, and she watched them as her heels disappeared over and over just beneath the bed's wood frame. She was waiting, hoping that he would come. But the worst part was knowing that he probably wouldn't. He was never one to chase. But going out there was not an option either. Part of her just wanted to sleep. The morning would come and Colin would be home before nightfall. And this would all, finally, be over.

"Ohhh, God," Jackie sighed and rubbed her eyes, giving a crestfallen yawn before falling to her side. She pulled her knees up and closed her eyes. A few disappointed tears came through with another wave, but she wiped them away quickly. It was immediate, though, his sighting. Just like that, he was standing at the door, looking down, not much better off than she, it seemed. So, Jackie looked away and waited, relieved as hell inside.

Licking his lips, Hyde glanced over, feeling shamed by his behavior. He was always doing that. Always harder on her than he was on others. He had it in his head that she could take the heat. But she never could.

Without a word, he walked over and sat down at her feet.

She was quiet. So, he cleared his throat. "I didn't..." Hyde shook his head. "It was a long drive, and I kept thinking about what you said. I'm sorry. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Jackie glanced over briefly. "Was I too late?"

"Too late for what?"

"For..." A single sob burst out of her. "Did you sleep with her?"

Hyde blinked and looked down, pinning down the mild rise of a smile. He shook his head, feeling proud of himself for the first time in years. "No."

Jackie looked up quickly, wearing a questioning frown that caught his attention.

"Jackie, I'd tell you if I did."

Jackie swallowed and lifted her forehead. "And you didn't?"

"No."

"Well, why not?"

A little confused, Hyde put his hands out. "What? I don't know." He dropped them. "Why do you think?"

An amazed smile began to rise over Jackie's lips. "Oh, Steven." Sitting upright, she turned toward him and reached out to place on hand on his thigh, the other on his hip. "I didn't know what to say when she showed up." Her eyes danced between his wildly. "Steven, before she came, I was going to say no." Jackie shook her head fiercely. "But the whole time, this whole weekend, I just kept seeing you with her. It drove me crazy. I want…" As the words came, she started to cry, and Hyde scooted forward to take her in his arms.

"Hey, come on. Don't cry." Hyde took a sharp breath. "Look, we need to talk."

"But that's what we're doing now."

"I know."

Jackie sat back, frowning. "Oh, my God. Did you change your mind?"

"No. But…" By nervous habit, Hyde wiped his hand over his mouth. "Just…let me get this straight. You were going to choose Colin, but because you're so afraid of me having sex with Jessica, now you want me?"

"No, that's…" Jackie shook her head. "That's not it. I mean, OK, it's part of it…"

Hyde shook his head gently, chuckling slightly, a little pissed at himself for assuming it was _him_ she wanted. He was slipping lately.

"Steven. Just listen to me…"

"I kissed her," he blurted out. And he wasn't shocked at all to see her face fall.

"What?" Jackie rumbled.

"Yeah, we made out. A couple of times." Hyde raised his shoulders and dropped them again. "It just happened," he added, unapologetic. "I thought you should know."

"Wait… But you just said that you didn't…"

"No, I didn't have sex with her. But I was about to when Forman called."

Her heart rocketing to her throat, Jackie shook her head, anger rising with it and spilling out in her tears as she covered her face. "God, Steven. You know, you really know exactly how to hurt me, don't you? I really hate you sometimes." Her muscles tensed with a punch-to-the-gut realization that she had let him do it. He was playing his cruel games with her again. And Brooke's birthday party came crashing back. "Just get out."

"What?"

"You heard me. Get out. I can't do this with you again. I can't."

Hyde scoffed. "Well, that was fast," he snapped and stood up, flipping his hand. "You change your damn mind more than Fez changes his sheets. I knew it was a mistake coming here."

"Well, why did you then? To rub it in my face that you made out with her."

"Yeah, that's it, Jackie. I drove all the way up here, sick as a dog, to tell you about how I was just about to score with Jessica… I pushed her away all weekend. 'Cause I thought maybe you'd call. But you didn't."

"I tried," Jackie shot back. "Why didn't you call _me_?"

"I couldn't! She was right there!"

"Oh, that's right. I'm sure it was too hard to talk on the phone with your lips glued to hers."

Hyde stayed quiet for a moment instead of volleying back with something to hurt her. He had no urge. The room went quiet, and he thought of what it was he'd wanted to say when he left his apartment. "Jackie."

"What?"

"It wasn't the same."

"What are you talking about?"

"It was different being with her. Kissing her. It was all wrong."

"God. Just shut _up_ , Steven. I don't want to know about you kissing her. Just…" Jackie closed her eyes and gulped in the air around her. "Just go away."

"Jackie…"

"Go!"

Hyde stood there, watching her, gritting his teeth. Every time he tried to tell her how he was feeling, she pushed him away. "Fine." He turned around and walked out. Feeling the pain return to his ears again, and nearly dizzy from exhaustion, he made his way back down the dark hallway. As he turned the corner, he was met by Brooke. "Hey," he said, but she didn't respond. "Look, if Kelso shows up at my place, I'll get him back here, OK?"

"I don't want him back here," Brooke replied flatly and glanced behind him. "Where's Jackie?"

"Uh… In your room."

To Hyde's astonishment, Brooke studied him suspiciously. It wasn't very often they were alone, or even spoke for that matter, but for some reason, it was making him uncomfortable. Maybe because he actually gave a crap what she thought of him. And she knew things about him. Things he'd done.

"You said something mean, didn't you?" she asked him. "And then left her in there."

"Hey, she told me to leave, okay?"

Brooke nodded. "And when did you start listening to her?"

Hyde sighed. "Whatever." He moved to walk around her. "I'll let you know if Kelso shows up."

"No." Brooke pushed her hands into his stomach, stopping him instantly. "You're not leaving. You're going to turn back around, and you're going to go back in there and be a man for once."

Hyde laughed. "I'm not going back in there."

Brooke didn't argue with him. Instead, she simply narrowed her eyes. "You were there, weren't you?" she said, making Hyde scowl in confusion. "With Michael. When he cheated on me. When he got that girl pregnant. You were there."

Hyde's face blanched. And inside, it felt like his all his organs were thrust high into his throat. _Fuck._ She was staring so glumly at him. Making him feel like the piece of shit he was. He never imagined he would have to face her. He had been drunk, too, wallowing in his shitty life, thinking of how the one person he thought he could fall back on, wouldn't cushion him. He was feeling sorry for himself, and, in his selfishness, he had taken Kelso down with him.

Brooke's face turned, her lips curling down as she started to cry in the dark hallway, alone with him. "Did you even try to stop him?"

Hyde shut his eyes and lowered his head. Against his back, he could feel Jackie's comfort, her warmth and safety. And he suddenly wanted to go hide with her instead of being so exposed to his mistakes in this hallway. "No," he muttered. "I didn't." Hyde looked up solemnly. "I'm sorry." He sighed. "I don't know why I didn't." He watched a tear sparkle, glistening from the little light they had coming in from other rooms. It ran slowly down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Brooke."

Brooke kept her eyes on him. "Turn around, Hyde."

Nodding, Hyde turned, feeling her eyes against his back. After this, he swore, when morning broke, he was going to find his idiot friend and fix this.

Inside Brooke's room, Jackie still sat, stewing over the night's events. She was tired of crying and the right side of her brain had finally shut up. The nerve he had, coming here after… Yeah, it was cheating, she told herself. Sort of. Jackie cringed.

Suddenly she heard a noise and looked up.

"Why did you want me here?" Hyde stormed back in, demanding to know. "Just spill it, Jackie. Why?"

From her spot way over on the bed, through her night vision, Jackie could see that he was angry, and it gave her breath, breath that made her rise smoothly from the mattress. She barely registered that she was upright now, standing sturdily on her feet; she was so focused on his face. His eyebrows were knitted together, his lips tense, and his eyes, they were on fire. But her own energy was stronger. She could feel it clenching inside of her. "Because I was going to choose you," she said coolly, her voice low and monotone while the world around them stopped. And, in that moment, time took them back.

She remembered that day. She had been wearing stripes. And her hair had been pulled neatly from her face. She had dressed for him. And he had turned on her. He had forgotten what it was he had in the palm of his hands. He had forgotten, or maybe not cared, that there was someone willing to give up everything just to be near him. And tonight, on this stormy November evening, the whites of his eyes encircled blue in a wide ring that made them seem huge. Just like that day. Their last. But he didn't speak this time. He only blinked away.

Jackie nodded. "Tell me something, Steven." Hyde returned his eyes to her. "Why'd you come?"

His sight fell on the pretty top she had worn for him. Her collarbone was showing, meeting the base of her slender neck, and it was strange to him what a simple body part could invoke. His shoulders sank. "For you."

She nodded again. "So, you figured if you came in treating me like crap that I would fall on my knees and, what, beg your forgiveness?"

"No."

"Can I ask you something, Steven?" Jackie took a step forward. "What is it about me that you hate so much? Huh? What is it that I did to you that you have not one ounce of mercy when you look at me?"

Hyde closed his eyes and then opened them again. Hers were searing. "I said I was sorry. I was wrong. Okay? Can we just stop this before we screw everything up again? Can't we just… start over?"

"No," Jackie said. "No. I'm tired of starting over with you, Steven. I'm at my limit. I used to be able to tolerate your crap, your mean little moments, but not anymore. You have no more wiggle room. After all these years, you don't seem to get that."

"Get what?"

"That I'm not that little girl anymore. You know, the one used to chase you around and let you take out all your anger on me." She looked him in the eyes, long and hard. "And I am not going to tolerate your half-assed efforts anymore. I'm willing to give you up, because I know now that I can be happy without you."

Hyde looked away, vexed, forcing in a nose-full of air as he soaked in her words. Maybe his time had come. He knew all these things, that they were wrong, that he had crossed the line a million times with her. But she crossed lines, too.

"I've been sitting here like an idiot all night, thinking about you," Jackie continued. "And I made the decision to choose you. Like I always do." To Hyde's dismay, she chuckled irreverently. "I was actually going to give you another chance, one that you don't deserve. I was going to leave someone I love for you." Jackie placed her hand on her heart. "And he's wonderful to me, Steven. He treats me with respect. All of the time. Not just when he feels like it or wants something. He sees a future with me. And you know what? He tells me he loves me. Not after he's screwed up. He says it all the time, for no reason."

Hyde eyes narrowed slightly. He'd never felt so much tension resting against his chest. "So why don't you choose him then?"

Huffing, Jackie shook her head slowly. "Oh, Steven," she muttered as silent tears suddenly began to stream down her face, her voice unchanging. "You just don't get it." She looked up to the ceiling. "You'll never get it." For a moment, she had to close her eyes and focus on breathing. The sound of the rain outside was helping clear away the wrong words that wanted to come. And she suddenly met eyes with him again. "Look at me, Steven."

"I am looking at you."

"No. _Really_ look at me." She stepped closer until she was within arm's reach. "There is no plot against you. There is no conspiracy, and I have no ulterior motives. I never have." She shook her head as she began to choke on the right words. "I just wanted you. God, Steven, I wanted you so much."

Hyde frowned. "I wanted you, too."

"I loved you," she added, as though he hadn't spoken. "Even though it would have been so much easier not to. Trust me. You're the most painful person in the world to love. If I could have stopped, I would have. And I thought I did. After a while, I was fine without you. I was happy." She smiled away distantly. "I would go weeks and not think about you once. And when I did, I didn't care. We were over, and I was happy."

Hyde shifted his feet. Her words hurt, and he wanted to bail. Only Brooke kept him still. "So then maybe we should just stay over."

Jackie nodded, figuring he would say something like that. "Is that what _you_ want?"

Typical Hyde, he shrugged.

"No," she said. "You give me an answer right now, Steven Hyde. Is that what you want, because I promise you right now, if you say 'I don't know' or 'Yes,' then I'll take it and walk away. It's as simple as that."

"Oh, is it?"

"Yes, it is," Jackie replied quickly. "This is your moment of truth, Steven. Because tomorrow, someone who does want me is coming home. He'll tell me he loves me without any hesitation. And he'll mean it." Her eyebrows creased, almost pleading as she spoke to him gently. "I love you, Steven," she admitted softly. "And maybe I always have. But like I said… I _can_ be happy without you."

Feeling like the air had just been forced from his lungs, Hyde looked down and swallowed down the boulder in his throat. He wasn't expecting any of this. He had expected crying or yelling or her irrational demands, and he got some, but it was not her usual brand. They weren't out of desperation. She was calm, serious. And she was going to be okay. It was he now who felt desperate.

Part of him wondered if maybe Colin was the better man for her. She was happy. Before all of this. Before he had come back into her life. She was right. It was he who fucked up. He made it hurt to love him. He could always see it in their eyes. She didn't want to love him, but she did. And it was that, those words, and as he looked up, it was the look in her eyes, that forced his desperation into his mouth.

Just like that day. She was pleading; raw in her hunger.

And just like that day, he had a choice. There was a moment given to him. A chance. He'd thought about it in the past five years and had come to one conclusion. It was his moment, his choice, his stubbornness that day that had made her go away. Nothing else. He'd spent a hundred nights thinking about it, wishing for a do-over, and now he had one.

Hyde licked his lips. "OK." Wiping his mouth dry, he took one final deep breath and looked at her. "I don't want this to be over." He paused. This was usually her cue to help him along by prodding but she simply raised her eyebrows at him expectantly. Hyde sighed. "I want you back, Jackie. I want us to try again."

His voice was low, almost impossible to hear behind the rain, but Jackie decided to press him on anyway. "Why?"

Hyde cleared his throat. He had known it wouldn't be enough. And he knew, by the smooth tone of her voice that this was his last chance with her. But tonight, unlike that day, he felt like he was ready. "Because I still love you."

Jackie started to smile softly, but nodded instead at him as he looked up. "I need more, Steven."

"What?"

Jackie stepped over to sit on the bed. She needed to sit. Badly. The temptation to jump into his arms and kiss every inch of his face was too great for her to refuse on her feet. She wanted to smile, to scream out and just take his words and run away with them before he could take them back. But it was always that instinct to forgive without question that led her to more heartache. "I need to know why."

"Why what?"

She looked up. "Why you abandoned me, if you loved me."

Following her lead, Hyde sat down right beside her and blew out a breath. "Because I was an idiot, Jackie," he admitted, rubbing his temple. "I wanted out."

Jackie looked over, wearing a frown. "What do you mean you wanted out?"

"We were through, Jackie. I was done. I was tired of all the fighting about marriage and you telling me what a crappy boyfriend I was all the time and… dealing with Kelso."

"Nothing was going on with me and Michael."

"I know that now. Okay?" Hyde sighed. "Look… Even if Sam had never showed up, I still wouldn't have wanted to get back together. Not then."

"What?" It was immediate. Jackie's heart sunk, having always assumed that the stripper had been the thing that brought them down. She remembered once Donna saying something about Sam not being the whole issue, but she wouldn't listen. She wouldn't believe it. "What are you saying? That you didn't love me anymore?" As Jackie waited for his answer, her nose began to sting, and she instantly knew that she hated this night. It was like a second blow, inflicted upon herself in pure stupidity.

"I was angry." Hyde shrugged. "I was pissed off that you took off to Chicago like that. And then when Kelso walked in, I figured that was it. I knew it was coming anyway."

"You knew _what_ was coming?"

"Whatever it was that was going to break us up," he said. "I was waiting for it. And then you picked that job over me, and Kelso was there, and so… I picked her over you. It made it all hurt a lot less to be the one to end it, to be the one doing the dumping."

"So, you stayed with her to hurt me."

Hyde shook his head. "No. I stayed with her because…" He stopped, suddenly unwilling to say another word. "Look. This is just going to start another fight, Jackie. Let's just stop."

"No, Steven. You not explaining yourself is going to start a fight." Jackie folded her arms. "I'm going to give you three seconds."

Hyde's body tensed. "God damn it, Jackie. That was five years ago. I can't change any of it." She wasn't having it, though, and so he tossed up his hands. "Fine. You want to know? I liked her. OK? She was easy to be with and she took my mind of off you. And if I was with her, then there was no way you and I were getting back together. And that's what I wanted at the time." He glanced up, noting that Jackie was on the verge of more tears. He could've lied, said he'd done it to simply hurt her, but it wasn't a lie that was going to fix this. It was his discomfort, and hers, the very thing they had been avoiding. Hyde shifted slightly. He still hated admitting this crap, though. "Plus, it wasn't like you were going to take me back, and she was more what I figured I would end up with anyway. Not someone like you."

Jackie shook her head, letting it all soak in, the disappointment, the stinging pain that she had pushed away by acting like she didn't care, by acting like she was fine, like she was over it instantaneously. The road she'd chosen since the day he returned from Vegas still lurked precariously behind her. "Did you fall in love with her?"

"No."

"Because you seemed so happy," she cried softly, finally breaking. "Thrilled to be rid of me and be with her instead." Jackie closed her eyes and started to sob harder. She wondered, as the tears flowed, just where all this had been hiding all these years. It burned like acid even now. "Donna," she wept. "She told me she'd never seen you so happy."

Hyde put his fingers to his eyes and rubbed hard, subconsciously trying to push it all away. "I was miserable." But beside him, Jackie's sobs only grew louder and more real by the second. It was her tears that he had been avoiding. Her pain. This conversation. But he forced himself to watch her body shake in spite of his reservations, to watch her cry. "Jackie," he mumbled beneath his breath. And when she didn't respond, he reached over and grabbed her face hard, forcing her eyes on him. "I screwed up. Okay. It was wrong, what I did. I was being selfish and vindictive, but the entire time, I loved you. I never stopped."

"That is such a lie. They said you were sad when she left. _Sad_ , Steven. You. But when we broke up, you didn't care at all. You couldn't have loved me."

Hyde grimaced. "Who told you I was sad?"

"Donna."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "I wasn't… sad. Man, I… I was embarrassed. I got duped by the dumbest chick on the planet, lost you because of it, and was divorced from a stripper at 20. I was making white trash parents everywhere proud." Feeling the discomfort of his embarrassment returning, Hyde rubbed the entire length his face. "I just… I figured everyone was thinking that I ended up exactly how they thought I would. A failure. What'd you want me to do, Jackie? Admit that I overreacted to something that didn't even happen, took off for Vegas and was stupid enough to marry the first chick I met at the freakin' Kitty Kat Club?"

Jackie's eyes clenched. "So, what, just act like you meant to do it and hurt me rather than just admit that you screwed everything up."

Hyde nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

"That's not love."

"I told you I screwed up."

"That's not an excuse, Steven."

"I'm not saying it is. But I did, OK? I'm just telling you the way it happened. You wanted to know. But I can't fix it for you, Jackie. I can't change it. You're just going to have to forgive me or this can't work." His frustration overwhelming him, Hyde growled and tensed up. "Damn it, Jackie. Doesn't it mean anything to you that five years later I'm telling you I still want you, that I still love you?"

"If you love me, Steven, then why were you so cruel to me?"

Hyde scrunched his face. "You were being cruel, too."

"You were being _crueler_."

"So, what?" He rationalized. "It didn't mean I didn't still like you."

Jackie's face fell flat into annoyance. "You said, 'I don't like you, Jackie."

"Well, I was lying."

"You said, 'I'm not lying."

"God. How do you remember all this?"

"I remember every stupid word that's ever come out of your stupid mouth, Steven Hyde."

Hyde turned away and scratched at his cheek, returning with a strange grin. "Alright. Fine. You tell me something now."

Jackie eyed him suspiciously. "What?"

"Did you really like Fez?" he asked, his mouth slighted in disgust.

"Yes."

Hyde cringed. "Christ, Jackie."

"Don't you judge me, Steven," Jackie demanded. "He was nice to me. Unlike you."

Sickened, and actually a little jealous, Hyde scoffed. "Whatever."

"My turn now," she called and angled her head. "Did you ever think about me… before Halloween?"

Hyde drew in a dreaded breath. "Yeah."

Her mouth agape, Jackie cocked her head. "Well…"

"Well, what?"

"Steven," she scolded. "You're trying to tell me that you loved me and not that skank, but I'm not buying it. So, you better start handing over some secret love poems you wrote for me or a hidden stash of my garbage that you rummaged for in your desperation to be near me if you want me to believe you. Give me something, Steven."

Hyde grimaced. "Well, I don't have anything like that. I didn't stalk you, Jackie."

"Well, you should've," she sneered.

"I should've stalked you?"

"If you really loved me. Did you even think about me at all, Steven? Or is everything you're saying right now just more of your crap so that you can get me back?"

Hyde rolled his eyes away. "I told you I thought about you." Jackie folded her arms and looked away. "God damn it, Jackie. Why are you… Crap. Fine. I had this girlfriend."

Jackie shook her head, still unwilling to look him. "I'm thrilled for you, Steven."

"No, would you just shut your trap for one minute and listen."

Jackie huffed at that, but pinched her lips together, allowing him to continue.

"Thank you. Now what I was saying was that… I had a girlfriend, a brunette girlfriend."

Jackie looked over at him, slightly intrigued. "Go on."

"And… she… sort of… she may have… looked a little bit like you."

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Already feeling like a moron, Hyde shrugged nonchalantly and looked away. "Yeah, so I kept her around. It was no big deal."

"Whoa. Wait…" Jackie leaned over, trying to confine his eyes again as she scowled inquisitively. "Are you trying to tell me that you got yourself a Jackie-Double?" Suddenly happy as a clam, she covered her mouth and smiled at his telling silence. "Oh, my God," she squealed. "You did, you had a Jackie-Double!" Quickly, she dropped her hand, though, and her smile. "Wait, are you messing with me right now, Steven?"

"Why the hell would I make that up? And I swear to God, Jackie, if you tell anyone…"

"No. No. I wouldn't. Well… I won't if you tell me more about this girl." Having a thought, she scowled and pointed at him. "But not too much!"

"Look… Jackie." Hyde straightened his back, repositioning himself and hoping to quell the present conversation. "I'm not going to pretend I was missing you the whole time. Okay? I wasn't. Eventually, I became happy with my life. And happy with Jess," he admitted, shrugging at his own candor. "But…" He sighed, admitting defeat to her. "You're my chick. I can just... feel it when we're together. This is what I want. Us. You."

Jackie smiled so hard that a few happy tears burned, even as she tried to stifle them away. "I'm still your chick?"

Hyde nodded. "You always been my chick."

"And you _really_ still love me?" she asked, dubious. "After _all_ this time?"

He nodded again. "I really love you."

Sighing, Jackie took a moment to think. "OK," she said a moment later. "Where would this be going? You and me."

"I can't promise that it's going anywhere, Jackie," Hyde admitted. "I can't see the future. But… it could."

Jackie's face twisted. "Wait, so that's it?" she sneered. "It _could_."

"Well, what do you want me to say?"

Jackie scoffed. "I am not going to tell you what to say here, Steven. You should just know." Incensed, she creased her eyebrows, utterly amazed at his silence. Obviously, he was clueless. That, or unwilling. "So that's really it then? It could go somewhere? You're serious?"

"Isn't that what you wanted? For me to say that it's possible that we could get married?"

"Yes. Five years ago. Before you ran off and married a stripper instead of me." Jackie huffed, completely indignant. "You can't just slip back right back into place like nothing happened. You need to earn me. I have someone who promised me that one day we _will_ get married. And you're coming to me with ' _It could."_

Hyde's jaw clenched. "Is that what this is still _all_ about? Marriage? What the hell, Jackie. Just pick him then. He says everything you want anyway."

Jackie pushed herself away from him and got off the bed in huff. She stormed over to the vanity chair and sat. "You know, for such a smart person, Steven, you're the biggest dumb ass I know. You never got it."

Proving her point, Hyde simply continued to frown at her outburst.

And Jackie, in frustration, covered her face before looking up again. "I want _you_ to say those things, you idiot. I want _you_ to want to marry me. And not because I want some stupid ring or… Well, OK, I want a ring. But it's because a ring means something. When you promise yourself to someone forever, Steven, it means something. And when you gave it to someone else—a stranger—and not me, that's what hurt." Years of righteous anger suddenly erupted out of her, violently escaping through tears and her breath and her bitter words. Jackie shot up from her seat and rushed over to him to smack him in the chest.

"You!"

Hyde was stunned. He couldn't say a word and only stared at her, confused.

"It was supposed to be me! I'm the one who loved you! Not her! I'm the one cared that you meet your father, and that you had a nutritious lunch and that were told everyday how much you were loved. _I_ cleaned and redecorated your room, and _I_ bought your clothes and rubbed your stupid head when you were tired! It was _me_! I loved you more than I loved myself, and I love myself a _lot_ , Steven!" Done with her outburst, Jackie breathed again, keeping her eyes fixed on his. "You were supposed to be there for me. And you weren't." Subtly, her head moved from side to side. "You were the only one who ever protected me, and then suddenly you were the one I needed protection against. You hated me, but I still loved you _so_ much!"

In front of her, Hyde sat silent, his heart bound tightly into a fist. It was what his guilt felt like. And it was painful, giving him the sense that he couldn't breathe. Or didn't want to. He opened his mouth as she cried, but no words would come. What the hell could he say to that? How did he apologize for something so unforgivable, unless he was willing to accept the pain and inescapability of not being forgiven?

Hyde looked around himself briefly. It had been so long since he'd made those decisions against her, so long since that person even existed. That person was long gone, and all that remained five years later was him, and her, and this stormy November night. And for once, he felt like it would be nice to feel cleansed. For once, it would feel nice to cleanse her. After all, he _was_ her defender. Still. It was why he had come running two years before. It was why he had done a lot of things. He was all she had to protect her since she was fifteen years old, and too many times, he'd abandoned her when she needed him most. Left her to fend alone.

Within the quietness of Brooke and Kelso's bedroom, Hyde reached out and pulled her body toward him until her head fell upon his chest. "I'm sorry I left you alone."

Jackie burst into sobs and, for a moment, he panicked, but when he felt her body curl into his, he relaxed and wrapped his arms tighter around her. He waited as her tears gently tapered off.

All during which, against his chest, her face nuzzled and rubbed, seeking a nook, a warm place, as deeply against him as she could find.

And she eventually found it against his heart and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I left you alone, too…"

* * *

10:42 PM

"Mommy!" two children cried out happily, running with all their might, thrilled to see their mother after the last two days without her.

Falling to her knees, Brooke opened up her arms. "Hey!" She accepted them both inside of a great, big hug. "How was Grandma's?"

Betsy smiled and stepped back. "Good! She let us stay up late and drink hot cocoa."

"Wif marshmallows," Bradley added excitedly.

Brooke's eyes widened. "No way."

They both nodded.

"Well, that must have been fun. But guess what?"

"What?"

"You're home now. And it's after 10 o'clock. So, guess what that means."

"Bedtime," both kids groaned.

"Yep. Go get your jammies on."

Donna laughed as they started to run by. "Hi, Auntie Donna."

"Hi! Hey… Where are my hugs?"

Standing in her kitchen, Brooke watched her children hug Donna and take off running past their grandmother, Kelso's mother. The older woman waited for the kids to disappear from sight and then looked at Brooke. "Michael called."

Shaking her head, Brooke abruptly walked away and headed back for the family room. "I don't care."

Donna cringed. "She's really upset, Mrs. Kelso."

"Well, I don't blame her. My son…" Her eyes swollen and red, Kelso's mother looked as forlorn as Brooke. "He really messed up this time, and that's saying something."

The redhead nodded. "So, where is he?"

Marie Kelso shook her head. "He wouldn't tell me. And it was quiet in the background. His father and I are hoping he calls back. But he told us what he did..."

In the next room, Brooke sat down on the couch and placed her shaking hand over her mouth. There were too many people here to cry, and she just wanted them all to leave. But, at the same time, she knew it would feel worse to be alone.

"Brooke," she heard Fez gently call and looked over. "You don't have to cry. I've known Kelso for many years and if there's one thing I know about him, it's that you're the only girl he's knocked up that he'll ever love."

Brooke frowned. "Well, thank you, I guess. But I don't want to talk about him right now. OK?" She was having a hard time keeping it together as it was. It was killing her not knowing where he was or who he was with. But she also knew that she couldn't take him back. And it made her angry at him. For ruining it. For ruining all their plans. They were going to buy a new car in the spring. They were going to honeymoon in the Bahamas after the wedding. They were going to get pregnant again. And they were going to grow old together and die on the same day. He'd promised.

"Brooke." Donna walked into the room. "She said she'll let us know if he calls again. She doesn't know where he is, though."

Brooke nodded and didn't even try to hide the sorrow on her face. "OK. Um…"

Eric sat forward in his seat. "Brooke, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She stood up. "I'm going to go tuck the kids in."

"I can tuck Betsy in for you," Donna offered. "I would do Bradley but…" She smiled weakly. "He never listens to me."

Brooke smiled. "Yeah. Could you? I'll tuck Bradley in…"

* * *

"So, this girl, she really looked like me?"

Hyde sighed, already aware that he was going to spend his life regretting that single confession. He knew Jackie well enough to know that it was already working to inflate her giant ego.

Jackie looked up with innocent eyes. "But she wasn't as pretty, right?"

"No."

"Is that the only reason you liked her?" She made a pouty face in honor of her fallen duplicate. "Aww. Did you explain it to her? You know, how you feel about me? Did she cry?"

"Alright. That's it. I can't take this anymore… Come here." Hyde took her face between his hands and laid a fierce kiss on her mouth, pushing his tongue past her lips and over hers. He was grateful for it. For the first time ever. He was grateful for a simple kiss. One he didn't deserve. It was gratifying to earn something that felt so good. And to shut her the hell up for just one minute.

Quickly, though, their momentum grew, the friction heating into passion as their mouths moved eagerly in sync with one another. He was instantly aroused by her, wanting more. It had been, what seemed like, forever that he'd been waiting for her. Waiting to be inside her again.

But suddenly, Jackie pulled away and rubbed her lips together. "So, was her hair as shiny as mine? Oh," she smiled. "What am I saying? It was perfect, because it was exactly like mine." She nodded, sure of the answer. "I should meet this girl."

Hyde gave her an irritated look. "No. Now will you just forget what I said?"

Jackie smiled at his crankiness and rested her head back on his chest, silent for little less than ten seconds. "Baby?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are we going to live? In the same apartments we have now?"

Hyde raised an eyebrow and smirked. And it was that quick. He guessed that meant that he had won her back. Just like that, she was his again. "Actually," he said. "I was thinking maybe I'd get a place up here. You know, for the both of us."

As she raised her head, Jackie's eyes widened. "You want to live with me?"

"Well, yeah," he smiled back. "Is that OK?"

"Oh, my God. Steven! This is so exciting." As quickly as it had arrived, though, her excitement dwindled and she lowered her head back down to rest on his shoulder.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. It's just… It's a lot to take in."

She didn't want to tell him, but it was more than a lot. The seed of doubt was still growing inside her belly. She knew she wanted him. There was no doubt there. But whether or not this was a good idea was what worried her. Sadly, she didn't totally trust him. Not that he was lying, or that his intentions weren't good, she just didn't trust his nature. He couldn't help it sometimes. He was always breaking someone's heart. And now, he was about to break Jessica's, and Jackie wondered if she was a fool believing that it would end there.

Hearing a gentle groan, Jackie looked up and watched Hyde rub his temple and frown.

"What's the matter? Are you still feeling sick?" Pathetically, he nodded, and, in response, she gave a small patch of his shirt a few kisses. "My poor baby. Did you bring your medicine?"

"I have my pain pills."

"Do you want me to go get you some water?"

He nodded, and she gave him a quick kiss before jumping off the bed…

* * *

10:56 PM

Jackie walked into the kitchen, noticing that the house had gone dark since she'd last seen it. In the family room still sat Eric and Fez, smiling and laughing at something on the television. But she didn't say a word; instead she grabbed a glass of water for Hyde and took off down the hallway toward Brooke's bedroom.

She made it about halfway down the hall when she ran into Donna, who was coming out of Betsy's bedroom.

"So," the redhead asked. "What happened?"

Jackie smiled. "We're getting back together."

Lowering her head, Donna offered a gentle smile and nodded. "OK." She looked up. "Just… Don't let him be a jerk to her about it, OK?" Her smile became a serious expression. "You, of all people, know how he can be."

Jackie nodded. "I know."

Suddenly, both heard a noise coming from Bradley's bedroom. A small child's giggle. And both couldn't help but smile. Curiosity got the best of them and they peeked inside the dimly-lit room…

Bradley smiled at his mother from beneath his covers. "Where's Daddy? We have to do Kermie."

"Daddy…" Brooke fumbled her words. "He's working late, sweetheart. But he'll be home soon. He told me he wanted you to go to sleep, though, like a big boy."

But Bradley couldn't. He wasn't a big boy. He was not yet two and, fighting sleep, he rubbed his big, brown eyes. "I want my daddy. We have to sing Rainbow."

Brooke sighed. "I can sing Rainbow, too, you know."

Her son smiled and waited as Brooke tried to remember Kelso's song. The one he sang to his son every night. From the film that the father and son watched together at least once a week. She'd heard Kermit the Frog and the man she loved sing it a million times before. She had to remember.

" _Why…"_ Choking on a sudden bout of grief, Brooke inhaled deeply and forced herself to keep it together. And together, they sang, _"Why are there so many songs about rainbows? And what's on the other side? Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and rainbows have nothing to hide…"_

Out in the hallway, Jackie and Donna looked at each other, both realizing that they felt the same. They hurt for their friend, one knowing exactly how she felt—broken—while the other could only imagine.

" _So, we've been told and some choose to believe it. I know they're wrong, wait and see. Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me…"_

Donna headed down the Kelso hallway, in the opposite direction of Jackie, and turned the corner into the kitchen, where she found Eric digging through the fridge.

"Hey." She grabbed his hand.

He straightened up. "Hey."

Without an explanation for him, Donna simply slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I love you so much."

Eric smiled. "I love you, too…"

" _Who said that every wish would be heard and answered? When wished on the morning star? Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it. And look what it's done so far…"_

Fez sat alone, watching the Terminator, a rental of Kelso's that he'd been talking about all week. Truth be told, he was desperately worried for his friend. He didn't know where he was, or what he was doing, but he was in pain. He could feel it. And it was making him hurt, too.

Suddenly feeling very alone, Fez reached out and picked up the phone, dialing home. "Amy?"

" _What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing? And what do we think we might see? Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me…"_

Jackie stood over Brooke's bed and stared down at Hyde, taking the empty glass back from him and setting it down on the side table. She leaned down and kissed his lips. "It's going to be alright, baby."

Hyde nodded, his ears throbbing. "I hope so."

Feeling tired, Jackie sat down and tucked her body against his. "I just don't want to hurt him."

Hyde watched her, unable to offer the words she wanted to hear. That she wouldn't hurt him. That it would all be fine. He knew it wasn't going to be that simple.

"He comes home tomorrow," she added, staring out of a sliding glass door at the end of the room. The rain hitting the streetlamps outside created a beautiful light-show for her eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to say."

Hyde sighed and tucked her head between his chin and shoulder. "Me neither."

"Let me go first," Jackie said. "I need time." She looked up. "You got time."

"OK," he said and stared at her for a moment. Maybe it wasn't the time or the place, but he suddenly needed to feel her, to confirm that she was really his, to connect. So, without a sound, and with all the intention he had inside him, he kissed her glossed lips…

" _All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic... Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name,"_ Brooke sang as Bradley fell out of tune with her, his eyelids beginning to fall. The young mother smiled and continued on. _"Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? The voice might be one and the same…"_

Three towns away, Kelso lowered his head and closed his eyes, gripping his beer in his hand. The music was so damn loud, and his head was pounding. But he was almost too drunk to notice. When he looked up, all he saw were people dancing and smiling and kissing one another. Not a single soul was not attached to another tonight. Except for his own. It all made him feel so far away from home, so detached from the world.

"Hey."

Kelso looked up, his eyes widening, and scooted his chair back roughly, pointing. "You stay away from me! You ruined my life!"

Her name was Christie. He knew her name now. Knew her face well. And despite the panic and anger in his eyes, the girl sat down in the chair beside his.

"Look. We need to talk. There's something you should know…"

" _I've heard it too many times to ignore it. It's something that I'm s'posed to be…"_

Combing through her sleeping son's fine hair, Brooke finally let herself cry for her broken family, wishing to God to make the pain go away.

" _Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me…"_


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Revolving Doors**

 **Songs:**

'Rosanna' by Toto

'Woman in Love' by Barbara Streisand

* * *

 _Saturday Night_

 _Hyde reached up and waited as the t-shirt that Jessica had just washed for him moved up his torso and hit the floor. Against his bare back, the stony peaks of Jackie's breasts pressed, and he felt her breath fall against his ear. "Lay down on your belly, baby."_

 _Hyde arched his eyebrow. He was exhausted, and his head felt swollen from the pain, but he couldn't pass up a hot, willing brunette. The way she was touching him tonight, so sensually and affectionately, it was his only comfort from the ache; that, and the nice, rhythmic sound of rain that poured outside. So, with little hesitation, he lay down, the same as she had asked, and groaned when her massaging hands pushed up the center of his back toward his neck._

 _He moaned. A small smile broke through as he felt the weight of her body come down on his lower back, with only her cotton panties separating him from the warmth between her legs. Jackie began to massage, her palm smoothing once around his back in a counter-clockwise motion, while the other hand came around clockwise. And as Hyde soaked in the feeling, she laid her naked torso down along the length of his spine, her hair spilling over his shoulders, tickling his skin. As he reveled in this newest sensation, her mouth immediately fastened to the nape of his neck and began to suck, sending chills down each of his vertebrae._

" _Oh, fuck." Hyde turned his head, seeking the tender warmth of her mouth. Focused on nothing else, he twisted his entire body and rolled, digging his fingers into her hair as he took her mouth hard. They both inhaled deeply, filling the room with their desire, and kissed for what seemed like hours. His hands roamed her smooth flesh, running down her sides with his thumbs deliberately passing over the soft edges of her breasts and down to the curves of her waist and hips._

 _Needing relief, Hyde wrapped his arms around her tightly and forced her body down against himself, groaning at sensation. "I need you," he whispered. "Right now."_

 _Jackie pulled away immediately; sitting up with a fire in her eyes as she desperately went for his belt buckle. "Me, too." Expertly, she unbuckled it and slid his pants down his legs, smoothing her hands back up his exposed skin upon her return to his lips. Their mouths connected again while she removed her panties and straddled his hips._

" _The Percocet's going to kick in," he reminded her. "Hurry." He extended his neck, moaning into her parted lips the instant her fingers wrapped around his shaft and stroked. They broke apart, and as her mouth lingered tantalizingly near his, Jackie ran his engorged head against herself then slowly sunk down._

 _In his own ecstasy, Hyde watched her shut her eyes, maintaining his hold on her hips as she sat up, exposing her breasts to the chilly air and the wavering glow from the night's storm. She was perfect. And her skin really was like porcelain, smooth and milky beneath his unrefined hands. He moved them to cup her breasts and lowered one to his mouth, pulling with gentle sucks, watching as she began to move above him. Recognizing her spell as her hair fell around him, her mouth finding his, he wrapped his arms around her torso and held on tight._

 _It was this. It was all he wanted. For as long as he could have it. This simple feeling. Of fullness and rightness. As hard as he'd fought it, it came with only her. She had been the one all along. And he'd only known it when she was back in his arms, because without her there, he'd been hollow, a feeling he'd become too accustomed to growing up. This particular woman filled him with life, both the good parts and the bad. Tonight, it came in a guileless whisper of his first name as she set a slow, rhythmic pace over him. He returned his hands to her hips and chose to merely watch her. She was in her own world, seeking her own pleasure. And when she lowered herself, her hips grinding and rolling in rhythm with his breath, she began to whine, as if it hurt. But he knew it didn't.  
_

" _Steven," she whimpered and bucked herself harder on him. Her movements were becoming clumsy, and Hyde could feel the tight grasp of her orgasm. It took all his concentration just to keep from losing it, too, as he steadied her hips._

 _When her deep moans turned into heavy pants of recuperation, Jackie collapsed over his chest and put her head down. They lay like that for a minute, holding each other, his hips instinctively bucking._

 _Then Hyde rolled them both over._ " _God, you're fucking sexy," he rumbled, taking in the view of her outstretched body, spread before him. Forsaking gentleness, he pushed his hands up and then down her sides, clenching the flesh on her hips roughly as he entered her again, bringing his chest to meet hers, wanting to kiss her panting mouth. When he was younger, he'd always figured, in his anger, that she'd blinded him, that she'd made him stupid, making him feel this way. She'd done it all so coolly, so easily, changing his entire outlook, all his goals and motivations, his self-perception, his whole life._

 _Moving inside her, he rubbed her cheek with his, accepting the truth of it. "I love you, Jackie."_

 _Right then, Jackie whimpered and hugged him close. "Oh, Steven." Her mouth found his and they kissed wildly until he came, hearing his own words echoed back to him in the sweetest of cries..._

 **Sunday Morning**

 **November 18, 1984**

 **Kelso Residence**

 **8:46 AM**

Hyde woke up grinning. The first thing on his conscious mind was the night before with Jackie. It was satisfying. Hell, more than satisfying. It was home, everything comfortable and warm that this world had to offer. And he'd gotten off like nobody's business.

Stretching his arms and yawning, Hyde turned and noticed that he was alone. No Jackie. She was probably off buying him a new wardrobe or picking out their china pattern. Even the idea of it made him roll his eyes and sigh. She had matured, but was still unbelievably pigheaded and still set in her annoying Jackie ways. Truth be told, though, it wasn't so bad. He liked to act like he hated it all, for appearance's sake, of course, but secretly, he loved her attention.

Hyde propped himself onto his elbow and looked around, taking note of the small bottle of glitter polish and the empty glass by the bed. Last he remembered, there was music coming from the record player, and he was falling asleep while, beside him, Jackie coated her fingernails with silver glitter, telling him about an expensive condominium complex that she knew of in North Milwaukee and all the things they could fill their new apartment with.

Still feeling groggy, Hyde figured to himself that she'd be back soon, sunk back into his pillow and closed his eyes.

 _"No. No. Come on, Steven. Wake up."_

Hyde opened his eyes again, and this time Jackie was standing over him with an affectionate smile. "Good morning, Puddin' Pop."

"Morning," he let out with a grin. God, he'd missed that.

"I have something for you."

It was then that he noticed that her hands were tucked deliberately behind her back. Immensely curious, he tilted his head, trying to catch a glimpse before he looked back up at her. "What is it?"

"Sit up and you'll see."

"It better not be another questionnaire about 'our love," Hyde grumbled as he sat up.

Lifting up the thick covers, Jackie scooted in beside him. "It's not."

"Well?" he pressed when she didn't supply the illusive object immediately.

"Hold on. First, promise me that you won't act like a big baby."

"Jackie," he warned. "Just show me."

She smiled broadly, "OK," and presented him with a bottle full of bright pink goo and a shiny silver spoon.

Befuddled, Hyde grimaced. "What is it?"

"It's your medicine." Completely ignoring the sneer of his upper lip, Jackie remained cheery as she removed the cap and poured the bubble gum smelling liquid onto the spoon.

At the sight of it, Hyde pinched his lips together, turning his head as she came at him with the overflowing utensil.

"Steven."

"What the hell is it?"

"It's antibiotics."

"Why is it pink?"

"It's for kids; it's the leftover from Bradley's ear infection last month. But it'll still work for you. I'll just give you a bigger dose since you're such a _big boy_ ," she cooed teasingly.

"I'm fine," he groused, dodging the spoon. "I'll just go home and take…" Hyde's eyes widened and he shoved the covers back. "Crap." He jumped up and immediately began a search for his pants. "Where the hell are my pants, Jackie?"

"Steven, what's the matter?"

He kept searching, finding them at the foot of the bed. "I forgot to call Jess and tell her I wasn't coming home." Jackie's breathing grew heavier as Hyde panicked, his tone suddenly harsh as he dressed. "Where the hell is my shirt?"

"On the chair," she said. "What does it matter?"

"What?"

Jackie raised her voice. "What does it matter?"

Hyde sighed and pulled on his shirt. "Because..." He softened his tone, though, recognizing the wounded expression on her face. "I still don't want her to know _why_ I'm breaking up with her. OK?" They silently studied each other. "It'll hurt her too much, Jackie. She's extremely intimidated by you."

Breaking their stare, Jackie started to pour the antibiotics back into the bottle. "Fine."

"Wait," he blurted out and let his shoulders fall. "I'll take it."

Jackie smiled and held up the spoon as he walked over and leaned down, but pulled her hand back when he was close and offered her lips instead. "Take this first."

He took his kiss and then his medicine. "Thank you," he said, kissed her again, and then grabbed her hand.

"Come on…"

* * *

As Brooke set down two plates of food in front of her children, Donna smacked Eric in the arm with her spatula. "Stop eating the bacon."

"Ow. Alright! But bacon…It's just so good, Donna," he groaned.

"Well, there are," She frowned and started to count, "One, two, three, four, five, six, _seven_ other people here who like it, too. So, hands off."

Suddenly, Fez ran into the kitchen happily. "They're coming. They're coming!"

"Together?" Donna asked excitedly.

"Yes. Both of them! Get ready."

With joyful smiles, Eric, Fez and Donna lined up and faced the entrance that Fez had just run in from, while at the table, Brooke sat back and tried not to laugh.

Within seconds, Hyde and Jackie entered, hand in hand, both stopping to stare curiously at the impish grins on their friends' faces.

Fez blew an opening note on a harmonica and counted down. "Uh 1, 2, 3, 4…"

" _Reunited, and it feels so good,_ " they sang facetiously, rocking in unison with each other.

"Shut up!" Hyde said and walked through them, grabbing an empty plate. He piled on some bacon and a large spoonful of eggs before turning to Eric. "Hey. Did Jess call?"

Eric nodded. "Twice."

"Crap. What'd you say?"

"I covered your ass, my friend," Eric stated proudly. But Hyde just stared at him, waiting. Eric smiled sarcastically. "And you're welcome."

"What did you _say_?" Hyde pressed.

"I said you weren't feeling good, the streets were closed due to the storm, and that you fell asleep on the couch." Eric shrugged at the simplicity. "I told her I'd have you call in the morning."

"And she bought it?"

Nodding again, Eric began to make his own plate. "Yeah. She thought it was better this way," he said, licking the bacon grease from his thumb. "She didn't want you driving in the storm. She said she knew you didn't feel good."

"Wow." Donna raised her eyebrows and walked past him with her breakfast. "What a terrible girlfriend. It's a good thing you're dumping her."

Noticing the contrite expression on Hyde's face, Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Donna."

"Sorry," the redhead offered immediately, taking a seat beside Betsy at the table. "I'm staying out of it."

"Well, then _stay_ out of it," Jackie snarled, grabbing herself a warm blueberry muffin. "We made this decision together, and it's nobody's business but ours." She gestured up at Hyde as she sat down across from Donna and next to Bradley's high chair. "Steven's going to be a gentleman about their breakup. Right?"

"Huh?" Hyde looked up at her, slowly snapping out of his pensive gaze. "Oh, yeah."

Jackie smirked at Donna. "See."

"Fine," Donna relented, taking a piece of toast from the center of the table. "I'm just tired of cleaning up Hyde's messes. That's all. They always come to _me_ for some freakin' reason, and now there's mascara stains on the shoulders of everything I own." Donna returned her friend's smirk as Hyde sat down, too, next to Eric. "Most of it from you."

"What?" Jackie cried out. "I haven't cried to you in years. Maybe it's time you get a new wardrobe," she sneered.

"Alright. Everyone just shut up," Hyde interjected. "Jackie's right."

"See," Jackie grinned smugly at Donna. "Even he thinks you need new clothes. And he dresses like a hobo."

" _No_." Hyde derided. "Not about that. About it being none of their business." He turned to Donna. "And Jess is going to be fine, alright? I'm going to break it to her gently. _But_ ," he warned, his eyes and index finger panning around the table. "She is _not_ to know why I'm breaking up with her. Got it?" He shook his head and returned to his plate. "Man, she'd be crushed. She's really sensitive when it comes to Jackie."

"Yeah, she is," Fez threw in. "A couple months ago I was telling her about that time I hid in the closet and watched Jackie and Hyde do it, and she threw a block of _cheese_ at me!" Fez scoffed. "Talk about sensitive."

"Fez," an appalled Brooke chimed in. "What is the _matter_ with you?"

He looked around, clueless. "What do you mean?"

Eric leaned forward. "I think she means, 'Fez, what the _hell_ is the matter with you?"

"Yeah," Donna added, "And ew."

"Wait…" Jackie interrupted, shifting her attention back to Hyde. "Why is she sensitive about _me_?"

Hyde shrugged and scooped a spoonful of eggs into his mouth. "I don't know."

"Gee." Donna made a face. "I can't _imagine_ why she would be. Hm."

Having to wholeheartedly agree, Brooke nodded. "Yeah, _hello_. We all heard you two last night." Hyde and Jackie's faces blanched. "And God, it sounds like she saw all of this coming a mile away. Poor thing."

Jackie turned her head toward Hyde. "Why me, though?" Her expression softened as she touched her heart. "Did you talk about me a lot?"

" _No_ ," Hyde grimaced. "I never talked about you."

Her face burned into a scowl. "Well, why not?"

" _All I want to do when I wake up in the morning is see your eyes! Brooke Spencer! Brooke Spencer!"_

Eric straightened up in his seat and looked around nervously as the tune to 'Rosanna' wafted loudly through the house. "Is that..."

" _I never thought that a girl like you could ever care for me! Brooke Spencer-er!"_

Hyde looked up at him and scrunched his face. It sounded like it was coming from outside. "What the hell?"

" _All I wanna do in the middle of the evening is hold you tight! Brooke Spencer! Brooke Spencer!"_

"It's Daddy!" Betsy shouted out happily and jumped off of her chair, taking off for the front door. And as Bradley fought to climb out of his high chair, Brooke pointed at her fleeing daughter. "Stop her!"

 _"I didn't know you were looking for more than I could ever be!"_

"Why?" Jackie asked while everyone else chased young Betsy down and went to find the source of the music.

" _Not quite three days since she went away! Brooke Spencer, yeah!"_

"Because! Just… Someone stop her!" In the meantime, the taller brunette kept her son from falling onto his face from three feet up. "Bradbear, stop. Finish your breakfast, baby."

" _Now she's gone and I have to say…"_

"Daddy!" the toddler screamed, growing frustrated that he couldn't follow the sound of his father's voice and his overjoyed sister, along with everyone else. Almost immediately, he began to cry and twist angrily in his seat. "I want my daddy!"

Brooke sat down and covered her eyes, nearly in tears. "God. I can't take this anymore."

" _Meet you all the way! Brooke Spencer, yeah…"_

Jackie, the only remaining adult left at the table, sat down. "Brooke, relax. What's the matter? Why can't they see Michael? He's their father."

"Because I don't want them to know what's happening."

"Brooke, they were going to figure it out eventually," Jackie reasoned.

 _"Meet you all the way! Meet you all the way! Brooke Spencer, yeah!"_

"Please just go out there and tell him to go away." Overwhelmed, Brooke sighed and looked up at her friend. "He called last night," she said. "Really late. But he was drunk so I hung up on him."

"Brooke," Jackie scooted closer. "Maybe you should go talk to him," she suggested instead. "It was a long time ago. And I know how it feels to be cheated on. It hurts. Bad. I know that. But you have kids together, and I know he loves you."

 _"I can see your face still shining through the window on the other side! Brooke Spencer! Brooke Spencer!"_

At the front of the house, Hyde opened the door while Donna scooped Betsy up and carried her squirming body to her room. "Get Bradley," she told Fez. "Bring him to the back with me."

Eric and Hyde looked at each other and then back at the front lawn, where Kelso, unshaven and unkempt, stood with his guitar, singing his drunken heart out.

 _"I didn't know that a girl like you could make me feel so sad! Brooke Spencer-er... All I wanna take is..."_ He continued to sing, only stopping when his friends stepped out of his house with no Brooke in sight. "Where's Brooke?" Kelso slurred to Hyde. "I need to talk to her, man. Go get her."

"Kelso," Hyde frowned, taking notice of the physical condition his friend was currently in. "Man, what the hell are you doing? Are you drunk?"

"No… OK, yes," Kelso confessed pointlessly. "But you guys gotta help me. Please…"

"Kelso," Eric began. "Man, you need to sober up first. You're not going to get anywhere with her drunk."

"But I have to tell her something." At the expressions on his friends' faces, Kelso frowned defensively. "She loves me. You guys have no clue, man. How we are." He dropped the guitar on the muddy lawn and started to pace. "Man, I can't lose her. I'm nothing without that chick, man. And I need my kids."

Hyde dropped his shoulders. "Kelso…"

"No," the taller man interrupted, desperate tears brightening his eyes. "Those people in there, Hyde, my family, they're the only ones who look at me like I'm something, man. Like I'm smart. Like they love me. They're all I have. I can't lose them. I just can't."

"Dude, you don't think we know that?" Eric asked him. "All we're saying is that Brooke's really pissed off, and you're only going to make it worse if she sees you drunk."

"That girl followed me last night," Kelso said. "I saw her again."

Hyde sighed. "Damn it, Kelso."

"Shut up, Hyde. This is all your fault anyway!"

"My fault? I didn't stick your twig inside that girl! You did."

Kelso shook his head. "Whatever, man. Just help me." He glanced up and saw Brooke standing at the front door with Jackie and abruptly pushed past his friends. "Brooke! Baby!"

"Hyde!" Brooke pointed and stepped back. "Get him out of here before I call the police!"

Kelso help up his arms as he approached. "Baby, I _am_ the police!"

"Get out of here, Michael," Brooke demanded as she backed into the house. She held her hand solidly on the door. "You're drunk. And I already told you we're through. The wedding's off."

"What?" he exclaimed as she slammed the door shut. "Brooke! BROOKE!"

"Kelso, come on," Eric stepped in front of him and worked to turn him around. "Come on. Turn around. Let's get out of here for now. She'll calm down. Just give her time."

"Fuck, man," Kelso stepped up and grabbed Hyde by the shoulders as he started to cry, holding onto his friend to support his weight. "What am I going to do?" He shook his head. "I want to die, man. I can't live without her."

Hyde sighed, deflating where he stood. "Come on, Kelso. It's going to be alright. OK?" As Kelso hugged onto him and sobbed, Hyde patted his friend awkwardly and gave Eric an uncomfortable glance. "Alright. I guess… Crap. You can come stay with me."

Kelso stepped back and smiled. "You're serious, man?"

Hesitantly, Hyde nodded. "Yeah."

Inside, Jackie stared at a tearful Brooke with a stunned expression. "Brooke. What are you doing? Just talk to him."

"I can't." Brooke sat down against the entryway wall.

"Why not?"

"I keep seeing him with that girl… I keep seeing it."

"Brooke, you've got stop that." Jackie knelt in front of her friend and exhaled all the breath in her lungs. "Look, I used to do that, too," she recalled forlornly. "But you have to realize that sex is only physical for them. It doesn't mean something to them the way it does to us. It's not an excuse, but it's the truth. And it'll go away eventually, the image. I promise."

"I hope so," Brooke sulked. "I really, really hope so."

Hyde put Kelso in the El Camino's passenger side and shut the door. Then he and Eric shared a wretchedly abject look. "Man, now I gotta deal with this crap, too," Hyde said. "A crying Kelso."

"Well…" Eric placed a hand on Hyde's arm. "Just look at it this way: now you won't have to beat Jessica off with a stick. Kelso will be there sobbing and ruining the mood."

"Yeah." Hyde took a deep breath. "Watch Kelso, man. I have to go talk to Jackie."

Eric agreed, and as Hyde stepped up onto the porch, Jackie stepped out of the house.

"Hey," he breathed out as she closed the door behind her.

Jackie didn't say a word. She simply moved up close to him and rested her head on his chest, sinking in as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Where are you going?" she asked nearly a minute later.

"Home. Kelso's going to stay with me for a little while."

Jackie looked up, renewed images of Jessica springing into her thoughts. "I change my mind," she told him. "I need you to go first. Break up with her right when you get home."

"No," he responded flatly.

Jackie straightened herself up, shocked and quite pissed. "What do you mean ' _No_ '?"

Hyde shook his head thoughtfully. "I mean just what I said. No, Jackie. You keep changing your damn mind. Every day you want something different. I haven't changed my mind once. I want _you_."

"Steven…" Jackie said through clenched teeth. "You're the one who…"

"No," Hyde cut in. "You break up with him and call me. I'll break up with her that instant. I promise. But I'm not doing anything until I hear from you."

"No way," Jackie scoffed. "It's going to take me a few days and, in the meantime, Miss _Kissy Pants_ is going to be all over you."

"No, she won't," he assured her. "Kelso's going to be there. And…" Jackie looked away. "Hey. I promise, alright? Look at me." Crossly, she looked at him. "I swear to God," he finished. "I won't touch her. I don't' care how upset she gets. OK? I'm with you now. Only you." Hyde stopped and looked at her expectantly. "Well…What about you?"

"What about me?" she responded irately.

"What are you going to do when Colin gets home?" His voice was rising as he grew aggravated. "He's been gone for almost three weeks, Jackie. Don't you think he's going to walk in and expect some stuff? I would."

"Yeah, but… I'm… I'm not going to do anything with him, Steven."

"And how do you plan to explain that away for a couple of days, Jackie? Huh?" He waited but got no response. "Exactly. Just break up with him the second he walks in. And then call me. If she answers, I'll just say you're calling to check on Kelso, and then I'll break it off with her. And that's it." Fairly impressed with his plan, Hyde grinned. "And then you can come over."

Jackie smiled meekly and nodded. "But…"

"But what?" Hyde asked, growing impatient with her indecisiveness.

"I still don't know what I'm going to say to him."

"Look, I get it. It's hard. But…" It was hard for him to say the words. He would sound like a hypocrite, but at this moment, he was beginning to care less and less about that. The thought of Colin touching her, anyone touching her, was making his stomach crawl up his chest and into his throat. The image had him seeing red. "Jackie. You can't…" He shook his head. "I don't want him touching you."

Jackie watched his blue eyes plead with her subtly. There was anger there, and obstinacy, but insecurity and worry, too, hidden just beneath his surface. "He's not going to, Steven. I won't let him. I'm with you now." Even as the words fell from her lips, she didn't believe them. She knew already that she would greet her boyfriend with a kiss and a hug and _then_ try her hardest to separate from him emotionally over the next few days. It was the only way. There were no other options. She and Colin were too close to just kick him out with no explanation the very minute he walked in from such a long trip. It was too cruel a thing to do, even after everything she'd already done to him. She knew he had missed her. She knew that he loved her. And he had done nothing wrong. He had done little else than make her smile and laugh and feel good from the moment he walked into her life. His only shortcoming, she realized, was that he didn't churn her heart into an excited swarm of butterflies upon contact, not the way the man currently scowling at her did.

He wasn't Hyde.

And that was all.

Jackie reached up and touched Hyde's troubled face. "Trust me. OK," she nearly whispered. "I'm going to break up with him." Hyde opened his mouth, but she spoke first. "And I'm not going to do anything with him. I'm yours." Gently, she stroked his cheeks. "Come here, Steven." Closing her eyes, Jackie rose onto her toes and gave him a slow, sensual kiss, not yielding until his body relaxed against hers. She pressed her forehead to his. "I love you."

His eyes remained closed. "I love you, too."

She pulled away, smiling. "I'll call you in a few days. I need that time, Steven. I need to break it to him gently." Her eyes pleaded with his. "He's been good to me."

"I know." Hyde's jaw tensed up again as he watched her, his hands balling into fists. He wanted to tell her she was full of shit and out of her fucking mind if she thought he was going to wait for her while she played house with Colin. But he knew—he wasn't stupid—that he had no right.

"Steven."

Hyde looked away edgily and pressed his lips together, trying to keep his jealousy at bay. "Fine," he muttered. His heart was wound into a knot. He didn't like it. But what could he do? He closed his eyes; his head was beginning to pound again. "I'll talk to you later." He moved to turn around.

"Steven. Wait," Jackie grabbed him. "No. We're not leaving it like this. Please. I'll be worried. Don't do that to me."

"You don't have to worry," he said. "I'm not going to do anything with her."

"And I believe you. I have to, remember? Or this can't work." Hyde's eyes softened at the recollection. "I want _you_ ," she reminded him. "I want this to be over just as badly as you do so we don't have to sneak around anymore. But I'm not going to be mean to him just to get it done quicker. Please don't make me do that," she begged. "I love you so much, Steven, but I won't hurt him for you."

Hyde nodded. "Alright." He swallowed and, a few moments later, after soaking in the sight of her beautiful, worried, face, he smiled at her. "Just promise me you'll do it as quick as you can."

"I will," Jackie smiled in relief, touching his worried face. "Now tell me you love me again."

But he hesitated as usual. It was habit. From years of cowering at that expression. Years before, it came so easily, the excuses not to have to say it, the ones that would get girls off his back about it. But this time, strangely, it all seemed so asinine. Even with Jess, he had been beginning to question his reasons for being so stingy with those words. All in all, he was becoming aware that his prudence had gotten him absolutely nowhere.

As he faltered, disappointment washed over Jackie's face and she looked away. Quickly, Hyde placed his hands on her hips. "Hey, I love you, more than ever," he said, staring into her mismatched eyes, and watched her smile. "I have to go. I need to get the moron sobered up."

Jackie nodded and lifted her toes for a fleeting kiss. "Bye," she muttered to herself when he turned away and headed back down the driveway. "Be good…"

* * *

 **Ten Hours Later**

 **Point Place, Wisconsin**

 **Hyde's Apartment**

Watching TV together, Hyde, Jessica, and Kelso all bowled over in laughter. "Holy shit!" Hyde chortled and rubbed his eyes. "This guy's hilarious."

Jessica nodded and, out of nowhere, snorted; she was laughing so hard. As Hyde and Kelso laughed and pointed at her, she covered her mouth and nearly collapsed in her joviality. "Shut up," she cried out and dropped her body against Hyde's as he continued to laugh with her.

"Man, she snorted," Kelso chuckled. "That's awesome."

Eventually, the merriment died down, and Hyde was left with Jessica's head in his lap. She was watching TV with Kelso, unaware that she was being studied and memorized as she giggled. Gently, Hyde ran a piece of her hair between his fingers. It looked blonder tonight, and he wondered if she had dyed it in her boredom the night before. But he dare not ask. He only watched. This sweet girl had been the first since Jackie to really make him feel normal again, feel loved in that certain way. She had been incredible. And before he realized it, she was looking up at him, smiling. He smiled back. She puckered her lips. And he puckered back, bringing the smile back to her face. She had no idea that she was as close to him as she would ever get again.

Hyde made a silent apology to his girlfriend and watched her naive eyes return to the TV. She would be alright—better off, in fact—without him. She deserved a good guy who would love her big. It was mere forethought that made him insist Jackie go first. Not hesitation. He was ready to say his goodbye to Jessica.

Hyde looked at the clock. It was late, and he wondered, with bitterness, if Colin had arrived home yet…

* * *

 **The Same Time**

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 _Life is a moment in space  
When the dreams are gone  
It's a lonelier place..._

The house was nearly dark, the lights dimmed so much that even the candlelight glowed brighter from the four corners of the living room. The music, 'Woman in Love', wafted warmly through each empty space, but all that breathed here sat lonely in the center of the couch.

Jackie's hair was long and down, her lips glossed lightly and her make-up natural.

She didn't want to seem eager.

Though, the candles were probably sending the wrong message, she supposed while shifting in her seat, glancing around the flickering room.

It was just what she always did for him after a long trip. She would clean the house spotless, dim the lights, and make it eternally warm for his arrival. She would feed him, and talk to him, and massage him until they made love. In her arms, he would finally rest after weeks of meetings and jerks in business suits who demanded perfection from him in the middle of a concrete jungle. He would finally sleep. And it was what she wanted. She wanted this to be the soft place he fell upon when he was tired, when the world was being cruel. She had wanted to be the person he fell upon, and she was, but now, or at least over the next few days, she would become as hard, and as cold to him, as that concrete jungle. She was going to have to force herself to do it, but tonight, he would have the warmth and the rest he would need for the days ahead.

Jackie swore it to herself as tears threatened her eyes, but something held them back. She felt numb, if it was possible to 'feel' numb. She felt beyond tears. Jackie placed her hand over her mouth and shut her eyes, fighting the sting. She felt like a monster. But she felt free at the same time. Like the world above her had just opened up and revealed to her an open night sky full of possibilities. It was returning old dreams and taking the newer ones as payment. It was the price she had to pay, and she could already feel the burn of indebtedness. Being home, with the lights down, the candles burning, and Colin on his way, her mind was beginning to return home to him. And the thought of giving this up, giving him away, hurt worse than she'd anticipated.

"Oh my God," she whispered beneath her breath and gingerly wiped the one tear that got away so not to smear her eyeliner. She took a deep, almost rehearsed, breath and tried to place Hyde in front of her. Closing her eyes, she kissed him, and held him, and listened for the affection he had whispered in her ear, the promises he had made. She tried to hold onto the feeling, and wrap herself inside the love he had sworn was there for her. It was all there was. His promises. So much rested on them. And now they seemed inadequate. But the look in his blue eyes the night he'd asked her to be his again, the way he had held her in that warm shower on that cold, cold night, and the little things he had done that showed her that he was alive for her again, she had to remember.

 _I turn away from the wall.  
I stumble and fall  
but I give you it all..._

 _October 31, 1984_

" _Hyde, you might have to carry me soon," she had squealed out happily as she stumbled into him, tripped up by something in the dark. "I can't see anything!"_

" _Hey, I think it's just a little bit further." Even more clueless and intoxicated than his hapless date, Hyde grabbed a hold of Jackie's hand and pulled her in the direction of what he thought was the exit. When he seemed to realize that it was just another macabre cage scene, he made an about-face. "Damn it. I think we're lost."_

" _Uh-oh," Jackie snickered, hiding behind him as a dark figure menacingly approached. "You can't get me," she yelled out. "Hyde will protect me! He'll kick your ass!" As the figure ignored her taunts, and continued forward toward them, she began to whine softly, pressing herself further into Hyde's back. "Hyde, I don't like this. What are we going to do?"_

 _Still focused on his previous concern, Hyde looked around. "I don't know. Unless…" Seemingly struck with an idea, Hyde had turned and pulled his drunken bracelet buddy into another crevice, yanking her tightly, but playfully, against himself. "We could finish what we started earlier… in the last maze."_

 _Blinded by the darkness, Jackie could only feel his impish smirk. "Steven, you're being…" She giggled. "What's the word? Frisky. Hey…I'll bet Jen…Je…Wait, what's your girlfriend's name again?"_

" _Come on. You know her name. It's Jack… I mean…Crap. Jessica. But, wait, I call her something else… Oh, Jess. It's easier to say when I'm drunk." Hyde let out a chuckle and nuzzled his face into her neck. "Like right now."_

 _Jackie's smile faded as all of his warmest parts came into contact with hers. "Well, I'll bet she…" Suddenly, his tongue made contact with her skin, making her swallow nervously. "…doesn't let you kiss other girls in tiny, dark spaces. I know I wouldn't if you were mine...Ohhh." His lips were making little patterns on her skin, his hot breath tickling and distracting all of her most rational thoughts. God, he still knew how to use his mouth. "I wouldn't…Oh, God." She threw her head back and hugged his head. "…let you out of my sight."_

" _You wouldn't?" he asked aimlessly and brought his lips not even an inch from her mouth._

" _No." Jackie closed her eyes and waited for his kiss._

 _"GRRRR!"_

" _AH!" Hyde yelled out, startled as Jackie screamed and panicked, too, shoving her palm into the dressed-up intruder's nose and causing him to yelp out loudly in pain before sinking to the ground._

" _Oh, my God!" she shouted and covered her mouth. "Oh, my God!"_

 _Hyde began to laugh. "Jackie, what the hell did you do?"_

" _This isn't funny, Steven!"_

" _Maybe not for him," Hyde snickered._

" _Just get me out of here!" Just then the ominous, yet hurting, figure must have grabbed Hyde's ankle, because he suddenly kicked his leg out fiercely._

" _Man, get off me!" she had heard him shout, and, after hopping over the guy, Hyde turned back and offered his hand, assisting Jackie in walking across the now groaning body. He never let her even stumble as he pulled her across their obstacle and, eventually, out of the maze._

 _Clearly proud of his exploring skills, Hyde swaggered out of the exit and grinned at his date. "Well, that wasn't so bad. Two mazes down, two to go."_

" _I'm so glad you're my bracelet buddy tonight, Hyde," Jackie cooed, hooking her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder as they walked briskly. "You're, like, my knight in shining concert tee."_

 _His amused expression found her. "You're the one who punched him. I just helped you across so you wouldn't fall."_

 _Jackie smiled, vindicating him. "Exactly…"_

 _I am a woman in love  
and I'll do anything…_

A moment later, Jackie heard a jingle, and a light slam, and her heart jumped in her chest. As she turned her head toward the front door, she got to her feet, watching as the knob jiggled and moved. His key was inside. He was right there on the other side of that door. He was home. And suddenly, the handle turned, the door opened, and Jackie's eyes widened at the sight of him. He looked exhausted. His dark hair was soaking wet, his skin glistening from the rain, but he was smiling.

"Hey," was all he could get out.

Jackie smiled. "Oh, baby," she breathed outward and rushed toward him, throwing her arms around his neck. She felt his arms clamp around her body and hug her close, making her eyes shut at the incredibly safe feeling. She was beginning to remember the things she never should have forgotten, like his scent. So clean, but rustic, like a man. And the precise thickness of his body. She couldn't help but notice the differences. He was taller than Hyde, by a couple of inches, and she had to rise a little more on her toes. He was thicker, too. Or maybe it was his thick coat.

"Oh, baby, I missed you," she heard him breathe while sensations flooded back, and she felt his head turn, insistent and distressed as he seized her lips and kissed her deeply. The desire to stop him, to push him away as she had promised fell away and was replaced with a new desire. It was just to taste him once more, make him feel loved tonight, to say goodbye, to memorize these last bits of him, and she couldn't stop if she wanted to anyway. His kisses were infectious, especially the deep ones, and his mouth tasted so sweet.

A few fervent kisses in, she pulled away and placed her hands on his chest, lowering her head as she recovered.

"So, um, how was your trip?"

Colin smiled curiously. "It was alright," he answered and leaned toward her again, set and focused on her lips. He caught them again, picking her up this time and wrapping her legs around his waist. A growl accompanied his kiss. "My God, Jackie. I've been fantasizing about this."

"Wait…Wait." Moving her head, Jackie squirmed down. "I want to talk. I want to know how your trip was."

He appeared hurt briefly, but seemed to accept it as he glanced around the apartment and sighed. "Alright. Let me just get my bags." He sneaked another quick kiss and headed back out the door. "It's okay, right?" he asked upon his return, carrying a suitcase and duffel bag. "If I stay the night here." He smirked playfully. "A few nights."

Jackie swallowed. "Of course."

Colin shut the door, immediately taking notice of her body language and her behavior. She was acting strange. Usually, she screamed like a banshee at his arrivals and kissed him until he couldn't breathe. "What's the matter?" he asked her and stepped closer, watching her step back and trip over the edge of her couch, falling onto it.

"I…I…Nothing." She crossed her legs awkwardly and tried to placate him with a fake grin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Colin frowned and looked around again. It all _seemed_ normal. He returned his eyes to her. "Jackie. What's going on? You're acting odd."

"Me?" Jackie feigned a horrible sounding laugh. "I'm not odd. You're odd."

He tilted his head, more confused than before. "I didn't say you _were_ odd, baby. I said you're acting odd."

"Oh. Well…I'm just tired. And I think I ate a bad burrito."

Shrugging, Colin walked over to the couch sat down beside her, observing the way she leaned away from him unwilling to even look at him. "Jackie."

"Huh?"

"Are you still mad about that bar? I didn't stay that long. And I tried to call you but you didn't answer."

Jackie looked over. His handsome face appeared worried. Clearly, he was feeling her rejection. And she couldn't bear it anymore. He had expected to come home and find her, the girl he had left behind, to be waiting here, having missed him the way he missed her. But that girl was being gagged unfairly into silence, so Jackie let her loose for the time being.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, baby." Rising to her knees, she pushed her body at him in a hug. "I'm being terrible, aren't I?"

"Is everything alright?" he muttered as she climbed onto his lap and straddled him against the side of the couch. Both had a foot on the floor, giving Jackie the leverage that she needed to scoot in close.

She placed her hands behind his ears. "Everything's fine. I promise," she whispered and placed her lips gently on his, making his eyes close and his tensed muscles relax. She gave him the warm comfort of her tongue again, but softer this time, whimpering as he drew her hips flush against him.

"I want you so bad, Jackie. You have no idea."

"I know, baby," she said, closing her eyes. She could feel his desire. "But we can't."

Colin drew his head back. "Why not?"

"I'm...I'm on my period," she fibbed. "We can't."

He shook his head insistently and smiled. "I don't care about your period. I'll be gentle."

Jackie panicked, having underestimated his pent-up desire. The look in his eyes was a perfect mix of glassy lust and adoring, romantic love. As if her lips held everything he needed in the world. "I know, but I..."

"Come on, baby," he said, looking up at her with his sexy, pouting eyes. "Have mercy on me. It's been so long."

"I can't."

"Damn it." Colin sighed and collapsed back against the couch. "Okay."

Jackie watched him swallow his desire down and try to fight it away. She pouted slightly. He looked pained. And she wanted so badly to fix it for him. Maybe just this once. For a moment, she considered it. Hyde would never even know. And it didn't have to mean anything. It was only physical.

Colin looked up with his faded green eyes, his lips as attractive as always, his breathing still not yet slowed. He was fighting his desire for her. He was trying. "It doesn't matter. As long as you're here," he muttered.

Something, maybe it was his words, or the longing in his eyes, but _something_ made her lean forward and attempt to lessen his pain with a kiss, a kiss that grew heated and wet and extremely dangerous. He tasted too good, and he was such a good kisser. "God." Breaking from him, Jackie looked up and sought redemption from the ceiling as she hugged his head to her chest. His lips and tongue were all over her throat and chest and the muscles in his arms were taut, hugging her tightly and grinding her body into his hardened lap. "We can't," she whined quietly and closed her eyes. It all felt so passionate. His current yearning for her was exactly the thing she had craved from men her whole life. That need that feels like you might die if it doesn't get met. She could feel it ground into his touch, in the potency of his kisses.

"Oh, fuck, Jackie," Colin groaned against her skin and looked up, searching again for her mouth. "I missed you so much."

Jackie looked down and couldn't help but smile. He looked so sweet, so drowsy from desire, and so in love. He blinked and closed his mouth, willing to be patient for her, for the moment anyway. Her eyes were dancing pensively between his as her fingers traced down the hard line of his jaw.

"I do love you," she said quietly to him. "You've always been so good to me."

Confusion passed over his features. "Because I love you."

"I know you do, baby." Jackie cupped his cheeks. "Oh, and I want you to keep your job. Okay? Don't quit it for me."

"Jackie…"

"No, I mean it. You can't quit. You love that job. And you're so good at it."

"Jackie," Colin said again. "I already quit. I told Dave to go fuck himself when the plane landed." He cringed. "I'm finished there."

"Wait, what?" Jackie sat back. "No. No, Colin, you need to go back. You need to get your job back right now."

"Jackie. I can't just get my job back."

"Colin!" She got up from the couch and placed her hand on her forehead, beginning to pace. "Oh, my God. You'll just have to go back tomorrow and tell Dave you're sorry."

Colin stood up. "I'm not doing that. I'm not groveling to that asshole." He grabbed her hand. "Jackie, what is going on? First, you're angry at me that I hadn't quit yet and now that I did, you're angry again?"

"Yes!"

Growing irate, Colin dropped her hand. "Jackie…" His teeth clenched. "I just quit my fucking job for you. Don't…"

"Well, you shouldn't have!" she shouted.

"God, damn it," Colin said. "Don't do this to me, Jackie. This isn't a game."

"I know that, Colin."

Blowing out a frustrated breath, Colin sat down and placed his head in his hands. He closed his eyes, unaware that his girlfriend stood before him, fighting back tears as she set up their fall. She felt twisted up inside, like her heart was breaking, clenching so painfully that she considered running away, but she stayed. She hadn't meant to do this tonight, and she wanted it to stop. She wasn't ready.

"I'm sorry," Jackie cried and sat down on the couch, horrified with herself.

Colin looked up, his eyes glazed with confusion and shock. He looked around. The room appeared as if she had been waiting for him, but the girl on the couch wasn't her. He had been gone so long, been so far away from home, and he had just wanted to feel her love tonight, to shun the world away and hide beneath the covers with her for just one night. He had missed her face and her smile and even the terrible way she frowned at ugly people on the street. He missed every little molecule that formed her. But this wasn't her, and he wasn't home. Not yet.

Colin stood up and inhaled deeply. "Look, I don't want to fight with you. I'll call you tomorrow."

Jackie's head rose to see that he was nearly to the door. "Wait," she called out. "Where are you going?"

"Home," he answered, grabbing his bags.

"No." She jumped up from her seat. "Please don't go."

Colin turned around, but he didn't offer her any words of comfort as she cried in front of him. "Colin."

"What?"

Jackie closed her eyes, sifting through her thoughts. He was angry at her, really angry, and disappointed, and she was torn between just letting him go, breaking up with him now while the mood was right, or going through with her original plan. The words played in her head for the first option, the response, the image of him walking out to never return again, and the idea that someday he would meet someone new and fall in love. The decision was easy. She wasn't ready for that yet, and she couldn't end it like this, with him being greeted by this cold welcome.

"Just…please don't go like this." Jackie swallowed and cringed through the bitter pain in her chest and in her back muscles. "Stay. We'll go to sleep and talk about it all in the morning." She looked at him pleadingly. "Okay?"

Dropping his bags, Colin sighed. "Okay," he said listlessly, and when Jackie stepped forward and took his hand, he didn't put up a fight like she thought he might. He simply let her guide him around the room to each candle. She blew them out, one by one, and eventually led him into her room.

She tried to memorize everything there was to know about him in these final hours. The shapes that formed him, the feeling of his hand in hers, the memories that she didn't want to forget. Suddenly, she frowned, trying to recall the exact details of their first time together. She smiled to herself. It was summer, a Tuesday night after a long day at the lake. He had been so affectionate toward her.

Through her dark bedroom, Jackie reached the bed and turned around to look up at this man whose mild accent had once made her melt into a puddle. Without saying a word, she began to undress him for bed, removing his shirt first as he stood quietly. In a world where men only caused pain, he had arrived to show her that they weren't all hopeless, that some still knew how to treat women like gold without having to compromise their masculinity. To her, that was the makings of a real man. It was the thing that Hyde had lost five year before.

Pushing Hyde from her mind, Jackie unbuckled Colin's belt and pushed his pants down his hips, helping him step out of them. At the sight of his ivory skin, an expanse that, over time, she had kissed every inch of, Jackie stepped forward and placed her forehead to his chest, running her palms down his sides. She gave his sternum a gentle kiss and looked up, not saying a word as his fingers found the buttons of her blouse, his eyes seeking permission. Outside, rain poured, but inside, her silence coaxed his hands further until they slipped her blouse gently from her shoulders.

Her soundless consent continued as he unbuttoned her pants and dragged them down her legs to the floor. She stepped out from the pile at her feet and, together, they stood, barely dressed. His hands found her bare hips and pulled her closer.

"Colin," Jackie whispered as he eyelids fell shut. "Can we just lie together?"

When she opened her eyes, she saw his disappointment. Maybe he realized what was happening between them, maybe his heart was breaking apart the way hers was, or maybe he sensed that she was no longer his, but, like a gentleman, he nodded. "Yes..."

* * *

11:34 PM

Hyde's world stopped cold when his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend glanced back at him demurely and smiled. She really was beautiful, and his hand was locked tightly inside hers, joined as she led his hesitant body down the dark hallway to his bedroom.

"Where are we going?" he asked her.

"You'll see."

"Jess..."

"Shh," the excited blonde hushed and laughed. "Stop asking so many questions." Jessica didn't bother flipping on the light when they reached the confines of the master bedroom. She simply shut the door and let go of his hand, trapping him against the wall.

"Hey," she called softly, pressing her chest against his.

Hyde gulped uneasily. "Hey. Um. You know, we could watch TV or something."

"Steven," she laughed, amused by what she thought was just him being silly. He _had_ gotten high with Kelso a few hours prior. "Baby, when did you turn into such a prude?"

By the light of the bathroom, Hyde could see that she was teasing him, trying to make him smile as she bit back her bottom lip and slipped her arms up over his shoulders. She was about to kiss him, and part of him wanted her to, so that he could kiss her back and ease her mind, just a little, just for the night. Jackie would never know. But he would. So, when his girlfriend reached up and pressed her lips to his, he didn't pucker. Instead, he tried to recall his plan for the next few days, but, as she smoothed her incredibly soft lips over his, he suddenly couldn't remember anything anymore. She was too much to deny, and when her mouth opened, he had to force his head away, deciding that he would have to deal with the consequences.

At his gesture, Jessica's smile faded away, replaced quickly by confusion and hurt. "Steven."

He hadn't meant for it, but his face twisted with revulsion. "Jess, just stop. I don't want to right now," he muttered.

"You don't want to _what_?" Jessica watched him, studying and taking in all of his cues. His body was pinched uncomfortably against the wall, his head turned away. Like she was a leper. Like he was disgusted by the very sight of her. Her heart plummeted far away from its home in her chest. This wasn't him. "Steven?" Her voice wavered.

He wouldn't look at her; he only blinked and then closed his eyes.

Jessica brought her body closer to his and leaned in again to test him, and, again, he dodged her. She tilted her head to try and catch his eyes. "Steven, look at me," she demanded, but he didn't; he only let his eyes fall to the floor, which worried her more. She had thought maybe his strange behavior had been due to his ear infection. He was just sick, she had told herself naively. But this was something else. He had been fine all day, until now, when she was trying to get close to him, to be intimate. Just like the other night. And suddenly, she felt lost. "What's going on, Steven?"

Hyde finally made eye contact. There was an emptiness to his eyes, a coldness, and, at the same time, regret.

"Just tell me."

Hyde gulped, trying to think. "It's… Kelso's in the house."

Jessica grimaced and looked around the room. "So? He's asleep. It's not like he'll hear us."

"It's Kelso, man. He's probably listening right now. He's as bad as Fez."

She didn't respond, though, only frowned, and Hyde was growing frustrated with his own discomfort. "Look," he added. "Maybe… You know, while Kelso's staying here…Maybe you should just stay at your place."

"Why?"

"Because," he snapped, making her balk. "You know how Kelso is."

"What?" Jessica nearly laughed. "Have you lost your mind? Since when are you worried about Kelso?"

Blowing out a breath in aggravation, Hyde shut his eyes, reminding himself of the things he'd promised, that he wouldn't turn into a cold bastard, even though he knew it would be so much easier.

"Is this about Jackie?"

Hyde's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"It is, isn't it?" Jessica asked forcefully, tilting her head at the fear in his eyes. "You thought she cheated with Kelso. And now, you think the same thing's going to happen with me?" Suddenly she smiled, appearing relieved as she narrowed the space between them.

Hyde sneered and blocked her advance. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Like her first one had, Jessica's smile wilted. "Jackie and I had a talk the other day. I asked her about your breakup, and she told me about her and Kelso in the motel room, and you walking in. That's not going to happen with me."

Hyde sighed. "That's not it. Look, I just think you should start staying at your own place. We're…You're always over here."

"Excuse me?" she exclaimed. "You _just_ asked me to move in here with you."

"Yeah, well that was before. Now I…I just need my own space."

Jessica's chin quivered as she pursed her lips. It was finally soaking into her head that things were much worse than she could have ever imagined. He could see the self-preserving fog that rolled over her as she questioned him sternly. "You mean, you need space away from me."

"Yeah," he nearly whispered, his guilt showing. "Something like that."

Furious, hurt, Jessica shook her head. She moved her sightless gaze to the empty space between them.

It was then that Hyde consciously fought to avoid her eyes at all cost. Tears were welling up inside them, and her face had contorted into an expression he hated. He never understood it. How women let the pain rest on their expressions like that, like it was overflowing out of them, pouring out of their skin and eyes. It always succeeded in making him feel like the biggest dirtbag in the world. "I was gone for two weeks," she muttered softly.

"Yeah, well…" Hyde swallowed. "I guess it wasn't long enough." That was when he made the mistake of looking at her. He was curious about her reaction. She wasn't yelling, or arguing back, like she typically would. She was just there, silent, and bursting with hurt from the inside out as she squeezed her eyes shut and began to shake.

"How can you be so cruel?"

Blinking away slowly, Hyde licked his lips and scraped them with his teeth, feeling like a monster. "I don't know." He had passed the point of no return, though, so it was all or nothing. "I'm really sorry, Jess."

"You didn't miss me, did you?" she whimpered, never looking up as she asked him the question, but, as if she knew the answer, she started to cry again, far before his lips even parted.

He could tell her the truth and say yes, or he could lie and cut her loose. "No," he settled on. "I guess I didn't." Startling him, she began to weep, whining softly like a child as she accepted the words on her own. It wasn't as if she could do anything about it, he knew, and it wasn't as if she could take back time. She would just have to endure it. But, he also knew that in all his relationships, even his one with Jackie, this had been his greatest achievement by far, the one he had been proud of, the girl he had not yet wounded. But, for some reason, it, too, had gotten away from him.

He couldn't take away her pain, but he could expedite it and hope it took mercy on her soon. "We're done, Jess."

Her body stilling, Jessica looked up at him. Her eyes stunned. Her breathing choppy. The tears streaming now down her cheeks. "What did I do?" She shook her head. "Tell me."

"You didn't do anything."

"You can't be breaking up with me."

Hyde drew in more oxygen. He wanted to stop it. He wasn't ready, and, obviously, neither was she. But he couldn't halt the momentum. "Well, I am."

"I'm sorry I left," she said, moving toward him. "I shouldn't have. You asked me not to. I won't leave again. You're more important to me then that stupid job."

"Jess. It's not the job."

"I won't move to Chicago," she continued, her tone distressed when she went to touch him and he grabbed it, pushing it away. "I'll stay here with you. Whatever you want. Just please don't do this. I love you so much."

"Jess," Hyde peeled her hands from his shirt and pushed them away. "Just stop, okay. It's over."

He watched pain finally transform into anger as she stepped forward again and cuffed her arms around his waist. "Listen to me," she said, clearly trying to control her emotions. "You're just…You're having a rough time…Alright. The store and Leo and…I should have been here. I know that now. And I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry I wasn't." Now sobbing, Jessica pressed her head to his chest. "I'll do anything you ask. Just please stop. Please."

"Jess…" Hyde forced in all the air around him while he tried to move her clinging body. "Jess, damn it." In his desperation to get her away—not because he was genuinely repulsed, but because he was moments from giving in—Hyde pushed her back and held her in place. Keeping a firm grip on her arms, he looked her hard in the eyes. She wasn't getting it. "It's over, Jessica," he asserted forcefully. "I can't be with you anymore."

"Why?" The anger finally arrived. "What the hell happened to you? You just told me you loved me and now you want to break up?"

Hyde shook his head and launched a confused scowl. "I never told you that."

"Yes, you did. And it was _so_ nice to finally hear." She moved a little closer, and he set her an arm's length away again. "Let's talk about this before we do anything rash."

"I never told you I love you," he insisted firmly, turning his frustration into a renewed, but unwelcome energy. She was too desperate. Too in love. She wasn't screaming or bitching or making callous remarks. She was just fighting for him and making it impossible to finish her off. "We're done! Okay?" he exploded, falling back on what he had learned worked best, desperate to end this nightmare of a conversation. "Just fucking accept it, Jess! I don't want to be with you anymore!"

By the looks of her, he might as well have pierced her chest with a sword. She shut her drenched, mascara-smeared, eyes and shook her head. "You are so heartless."

"So I've been told," he forced out. "Now get your crap and get out."

He watched his cruel words strike her. She even flinched like they were tangible weapons. She had felt their punch, but barely moved and only cried harder as she glanced around the dark bedroom they had spent so much time in, like she was searching for something, something that just wasn't there anymore.

Hyde watched her stagger a little, just wishing she would go already and save herself from his defensive malice, because it was coming, he could feel it rising. This girl was too sensitive and so unprepared for this side of him. She had no idea the things he was capable of. He had sheltered her from it, only to use it against her in the end. And the longer she stayed, the more he would have to inflict upon her. "Just go, Jess," he said. "Please."

"I love you so much," she whimpered through her tears, breaking his heart.

Hyde shut his eyes briefly. He loved her, too, he was realizing, but it wasn't enough to give her what she wanted. And he tried to stop them, tried to block the words, but they just came. They were his final blow. He knew how they hurt, knew exactly what they would do. They would crush her and all her hopes, as well as all the things that were holding her to him.

Hyde lowered his head. "Well, I don't love you," he said gently and turned his eyes up to her broken expression. "I never did."

He watched her freeze inside of a sob and then gasp it all out. She wouldn't look at him anymore, though, and he was grateful. He wasn't even sure if she was breathing anymore, but she'd heard him, and she'd apparently had as much as she could take. Finally.

Hyde remained quiet while she cried, and appearing lost, stepped back and turned. Where her anger was, and all her usual vibrancy, he had no idea, but he planted his feet to the carpet. The desire to comfort her and tell her he was lying wanted to overwhelm him, but the truth would be no better. I love you but I love her more? I want you but I want her more? She deserved better than that. Both of them did. They deserved better than him.

It amazed him that anyone could fall in love with someone like him.

Hyde withered against the wall shamefully as Jessica walked out without saying a word. And when she finally disappeared from view, Hyde shook his head. A month before, he would have never been able to imagine it, breaking it off with her, saying these things to her in the process. She had been his best friend in this last year, his comfort, and his life, and now she was gone. And all he could do was hope that he had made the right decision.

In his time on Earth, he had always chosen the path of least resistance, the easier road to survey, but tonight he had chosen the path that led to what he wanted most, however difficult the journey, and only time would tell if his sacrifice had been worth it.

Accepting his decision, Hyde turned solemnly to the door and swallowed it all down. "Later, babe." There was no turning back now.

* * *

 **Monday**

 **November 19, 1984**

 **1:26 AM**

It was nearing upon the dead of night and neither had slept a wink. The conversation had begun the same as any other. A question here. An answer there. But soon, he had her forgetting her previous concerns and discomforts. Instead, she was laughing and talking with her head resting on his chest, like in days before.

Slapping his arm, Jackie's mouth opened wide into an astonished smile. "You did not say that."

"I did," Colin muttered and yawned.

"Oh," she cooed, watching him. "You're so sleepy and I'm keeping you up."

His eyelids wavered, closing drowsily and then opening again. "I can sleep anytime," he said, pinching her chin between his fingers. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss. "I missed you."

Jackie smiled adoringly; watching as his eyes finally lost their battle against the night and closed for good. He must have been exhausted, and so frustrated, but he wouldn't show it. "I love you, Colin," she whispered, lowering her gaze disgracefully at the thought of what she had done to him. How she had betrayed him and, now, how she was supposed to betray him again.

"I love you, too," he managed quietly and, within a few moments, succumbed completely to sleep.

Following her instincts, Jackie snuggled into him—he was so snugly and warm—and closed her own eyes. She hadn't expected him to feel so good. She hadn't expected it all to be _this_ hard. But at least the day was over. She still had a few days...


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: Band of Gold**

 **Music:**

Band of Gold by Freda Payne

* * *

Spring, 1979

 _All that's left of the dreams I hold  
Is a band of gold  
And the memories of what love could be  
If you were still here with me... _

_It was the spring of 1979, and Jacquelyn Burkhart bent artfully over the hood of her boyfriend's El Camino, letting the muscles along her back elongate and give her the shape she was aiming for: ass out, lower back arched, breasts thrust forward, all locked beautifully as she tossed her head back and ran her fingers through her hair. The heels she had worn today toned and lengthened her tanned legs, stretching the time it took the soapy water to stream down the backs of her thighs and finally hit the cement below._

 _Monitoring her target, Jackie peeked through her hair over at Hyde, who sat mesmerized in a lawn chair nearby. "Steven, could you please toss me that other sponge?" She waited, but his eyes never left her body. "Steven!"_

 _He looked up. "Huh?"_

" _Sponge."_

" _Oh." Returning his eyes to her new bikini, Hyde threw her one of the sponges beside him as a perplexed Eric walked up._

" _What the…" His jaw practically hit the driveway floor. He looked down at his friend, who was still smiling stupidly at the show and then back over at Jackie._

 _Eric smiled, patting Hyde on the shoulder. "Man, you're my new hero."_

 _Hyde smirked. "I AM good."_

" _How in the hell did you get her to do that?"_

 _Never taking his eyes off his bikini-clad girlfriend, Hyde smiled and shrugged. "She just agreed, man."_

" _Amazing." Eric shook his head in fascinated disbelief. Hyde simply nodded in response. "So how did you…"_

" _Shh," Hyde hushed him, slightly aggravated at the interruption, and tipped his head appreciatively at Jackie. "She's dancing."_

 _Jackie stifled a smile, trying to pretend like she couldn't hear their conversation._

 _Eric nodded and glanced down suspiciously at his blinded-by-lust friend. "So how did you get her to agree?"_

" _She said she'd wash my car in her bikini if I agreed to do something with her."_

" _What did you agree to do?"_

" _Who cares, man," Hyde spat, gesturing at the view. "Hot chick. Bikini. Car wash. Shh!"_

 _Eric waited briefly while Hyde bounced his head to the music, in complete awe of his chick, smiling when she smiled, his eyes moving when she moved. "So, what is it you have to do?" Eric ventured to ask again._

" _I don't know yet," Hyde responded, his eyes still on his brunette prize. "But how bad could it be, man? She said it has the word 'ball' in it." He grinned at the possibilities._

" _Yeah, but aren't you just a little curious at what it might…"_

" _Man, will you shut up already? You're ruining the show!" Hyde quickly perked up, his eyes widening in excitement. "Oh. Oh. She's cleaning the windshield with her chest now." Fed up with conversing, it seemed, he waved off his friend; the gesture turning aggressive as Jackie glanced over with raised eyebrows. "Man. Get the hell out of here, Forman. You're blowing her mood."_

 _Jackie winked at Hyde as Eric walked toward Donna's house, shaking his head._

 _Soon after, she had begun moving her body again, amused by the way Hyde's head rocked along with her movements, his clouded-over brain having no idea that in five hours he would be in a suit, ballroom dancing with twelve other couples and a male instructor named Velveteen._

 _In the meantime, though, she had made it worth his while and continued to wash, giving him a little bonus as she squeezed the soapy sponge water onto her chest._ " _Oops," she said with feigned coyness._

 _Hyde smiled wide. "Oh-ho-ho. Nice one, baby…"_

 **Monday**

 **November 19, 1984**

 **7:57 AM**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 _Since you've been gone  
All that's left is a band of gold…_

Considering her life's precarious situation, Jackie still had a little dance in her. Happily, she scooted in rhythm toward the fridge and pulled out a jug of orange juice. The house was quiet this morning, other than the radio, and she had gotten dressed in peace, and also in complete denial. Each minute was a gift, her mind told her. One more painless hour after the next would arrive, though, and bring her closer to that inevitable end. But she didn't want to think about that right now. Something had to give at some point. Yes. And one of them would hate her sooner or later. True. But _later_ was _always_ better than _now_.

Jackie pulled a glass from her cupboard and filled it halfway with juice. Taking a drink, she closed her eyes and thought about a possible distant future, her usual brand of daydream. Who was there?

"Morning," a voice from behind her rang out as strong arms slid around her waist. Her back rested against someone safe and worthy. He represented a present and a future that, at one point, she had assumed unattainable. A normal relationship.

Jackie felt her hair get swept to the side as Colin kissed her neck. Her head fell back, her mind ceding power to the sensation. She could already tell that his tenaciousness, his penchant toward slow, patient seduction, was going to be a challenge on this gray Monday morning.

"Why are you up so early?" Colin whispered into her ear before dragging her lobe between his teeth.

"Oh... I have to work."

With a devilish grin, Colin spun her around and placed his hands on the counter on either side of her, giving her a kiss before moving his mouth down her jaw and to her neck. "Call out."

"I can't. I don't have any vacation time left."

Jackie frowned as his tongue, so hot, took a taste of her throat. God, he felt good. "Say you're sick," he said.

Recalling what she had done with her last week of vacation and all of her sick time, Jackie paused. The morning's first lie was in order. "I can't use my sick time because Kevin… You know…" A nervous laughed escaped as his breath and kisses tickled her throat. Holy shit, he felt _so_ , _so,_ good. "He's… He has this thing… and… I have to be there… You know, 'cause he…" She pushed Colin back gently, heaving. "It's really important."

"Jackie…" Leaning down, he took her mouth, and, caught up in the moment, she wrapped her arms around his neck, taking him in, kissing him hard and deep. It was a lustful fog, brought on by her sexual kryptonite: neck kisses. Oh, he played dirty.

Stopping herself, Jackie stepped back. "I would, baby," she said regretfully. "But I can't."

He looked down, disappointed, but nodded anyway. "Alright."

Jackie watched him carefully, her heart breaking at the incredible virtue in his green eyes. His mind was searching for something, though, something big. Tilting her head, she smiled and wondered what, causing him to look up.

"What?" he asked.

Jackie's smile grew. "It's just strange having you home." Her smile fell a little. "I'm not used to it."

"Look," he started. "I'm not stupid, alright? I can tell you're not happy to see me."

Frantically, Jackie shook her head. "No. Colin, I never said that I wasn't…"

"Just, wait…" He put up his hand. "It's fine, Jackie. I understand." She watched him search again; he was so easy to read usually, but not today. "That's why I'm not going to leave anymore. I'm going to make it up to you. I swear."

"No," Jackie continued to shake her head. "Sweetie, you don't need to make anything up to me."

Colin didn't appear to be listening, though. His thoughts had already transitioned onto something else. "Hey, um…" Watching the floor musingly, he put his hand to the back of his neck and frowned. "Don't make any plans for Wednesday night, okay?" He looked up and lowered his arm. "I want to take you out."

"Where?"

He smiled and waggled his eyebrows once. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Jackie asked, cocking her head inquisitively.

"Because it's a surprise."

Jackie clapped her hands together, her eyes widening in excited suspense. "A surprise?!"

Pleased with her reaction, Colin nodded. "Yeah, so be ready." Slipping his fingers deep into her hair, he kissed her tenderly and spoke softly against her lips. "Wednesday night. Don't forget…"

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **9:37 AM**

His eyes snapping open, Hyde entered consciousness with his body wound up tightly inside several sheets. A scowl scanned the room but he did not move, mostly because he had a throbbing headache and quickly realized that he had not taken his medication. There was no busybody with painted fingernails forcing it down his throat during the night. No comforting hand to rub his back to sleep. No sweet voice whispering things to make him forget. Both of his busybodies were absent this morning, one hating him, he was sure, the other, waking up next to someone else. Both thoughts bothered him. Both made this morning horrid.

He'd felt sick the moment Jessica had walked out, and had crawled into bed, falling asleep almost immediately. And ten hours later, he still felt sick about it. She was blameless, the kindest person he'd ever encountered, and he'd crushed her with little hesitation. And now, her pain still burned bright in his mind.

Untangling himself, Hyde sat up and kicked free of his wraps. He sat at the edge of his bed, planting his feet to the floor, and put his head in his hands to think. He couldn't rest until he fixed things with Jessica. He would have to find a way to settle her mind, to return the lies without compromising his motives. And Jackie. He shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes. He didn't even want to think about her today. His curiosity, and unsympathetic imagination, were chipping away at his sanity.

Pushing the image of both women away, Hyde stood and walked out of his bedroom, finding Kelso on his couch with a bowl of cereal, watching Smurfs.

"Hey," Hyde called out as he passed him and headed for the kitchen.

"Man, Hyde," Kelso shook his head happily. "You've got a cool pad. It's just like my place. It's clean, there's cable and there's food everywhere!"

"Huh," Hyde let out confusedly, opening his packed-to-capacity refrigerator. He glanced around at all the food. "Jess must've bought all this when I was sick." He pulled the milk out and closed the door, heading straight for the counter where his pain pills and antibiotics sat.

Kelso looked over, a sudden scowl of concern on his face as Hyde swallowed down his medication. "Yeah, hey, what happened last night with her? She walked out of here crying." Having a thought, he gasped. "Man, did you tell her about Jackie?"

"Hell, no," Hyde sneered from the kitchen. He looked down to grab a spoon from the silverware drawer. "I broke up with her, though."

"Well, she made me feel bad, man," Kelso replied sadly, returning his gaze to the television screen.

Hyde looked up. "Why, what'd she say?"

"Nothing. She just looked how I feel," he admitted glumly. "And plus, I don't like to see chicks cry, man. It just makes me want to comfort them physically and that's how I got into the mess I'm in."

His lips pursing, Hyde threw the milk cap at him. "Man, don't even think about it. She's off limits."

"I'm not. God, Hyde."

Grabbing the cereal box from the countertop, Hyde noticed that it felt light and shook it before looking inside. He came up with a threatening glare for his friend. "All my Coco Puffs, Kelso?!"

"What? They're chocolatey delicious, and it's a small box!" It was becoming obvious to Hyde, too, as his friend suddenly offered a dreamy smile, that he was high. "Oh, she bought Lucky Charms, too. Jessica kicks ass and takes names at the grocery store."

Hyde arched an eyebrow and let his irritation dissolve. "Yeah, well she's not going to be here anymore so don't get too comfortable." He poured himself some Lucky Charms and sat down beside his friend. "Hey, remind me to pay Jess back for the groceries."

"Okay," Kelso smiled, leaving it at that as they watched TV together and ate. A few minutes later, Hyde's guest pointed at the screen. "What I want to know is…Who's making all the baby Smurfs? 'Cause Smurfette's the only chick and that just means she's the village whore."

Grimacing, Hyde nodded and looked over. "Hey, man, give me some of whatever you've got. 'Cause I'm watching the same show and I totally missed that."

Kelso agreed, pulling from his pocket a half-smoked joint and handing it to his friend.

"So," Kelso said as Hyde lit it. "Where's Jackie?"

Hyde waited. "Home, I think," he finally responded, blowing out his smoke.

"Is Colin home yet?"

"I guess. She didn't call so," he shrugged.

"So, does she know you broke up with Jess?"

"No," Hyde responded, clearing his throat. "Not yet. I was supposed to wait for her to break up with _him_ first, but…" He shrugged. "It just sucked lying to Jess. Plus, she wanted to do stuff, so I had to end it."

"Man," Kelso frowned, giving his friend a curious look. "Aren't you just a little bit bummed, though? I mean, you liked her."

Hyde drew in a deep breath. "Yeah, but…" He shifted uncomfortably. "You know."

Kelso nodded, understanding. "Jackie."

"Yeah. So that's why you can't stay long," Hyde explained. "We're going to be getting a place together. I just have to figure out a way to get her to agree to Leo moving in."

Kelso frowned. "Leo?"

"Yeah. He's going to get out of the hospital soon, and he's got nowhere to go. I can't find Theo and the store's gone, so…" Hyde took another hit. "I'm all he's got."

"Yeah, well good luck getting Jackie to agree to that."

"Man, she will. I'm just going to have agree to some stuff probably," Hyde laughed, letting his frown fall quickly. "God, that's going to suck."

They were quiet a moment, both pondering and thinking about their own consequences before Kelso frowned. "So…Jackie's home with Colin right now... And, technically, they're still together..."

"Yeah," Hyde answered bitterly, turning a dangerous glare on his friend. "So?"

"I'm just saying. Aren't you a little bit worried?"

"No. Why? Should I be?"

Kelso laughed mockingly. "Look, Colin's a good lookin' guy." He snatched the joint from Hyde's hand and took a hit. "Almost as good lookin' as me."

"So?"

"Well, so he's also pretty cool. He wears suits with sunglasses."

"What are you trying to say, man?" Hyde turned in his seat and faced Kelso, an angry affect worrying his face. "Just spit it out."

"I'm just saying that he's good-looking, and really cool, and has a really great job. Oh, and his dad has a boat. It's awesome! It's got this room down below…"

"Big deal," Hyde bit back. "I've got things."

" _What_ , man?" After seeing the stalled expression on his friend's face, Kelso looked down. "Look all I'm saying, Hyde, is that Colin wants to marry her, and have kids, and buy a house and all that stuff. He's got plans. What do _you_ have?"

Hyde stared at his friend dumbly, having no comeback, no answer to his surprisingly-shrewd question. Taking it all in, he turned forward to think. What _did_ he have? Jackie had asked him what his plans were for them and all he had to offer was the idea of moving in together. He had no job. No store. Not much money. No awesome boat. No real plans. Only an old hippie and the love in his heart.

Now bummed, Hyde looked over and took the joint back irritably. "Gimme that…"

* * *

 **Jackie's Work**

 **1:34 PM**

Kevin sat back, stunned clear out of his mind, and held out his hands. "I don't even know what to say."

Jackie's lips puckered. "Well, you better think of something fast before I kick you."

"If you kick me, I'm kicking your scrawny little ass, girl or not."

The brunette narrowed her eyes and sat back, folding her arms. "Ugh. Like it even matters with you."

"Don't take this out on me," her friend mock-warned. "You got yourself into this drama."

Jackie sat straight again and pointed. "It just happened, okay! I didn't choose for any of this to happen."

"Oh, hooey," Kevin returned. "You knew exactly what you were doing, and _now_ you've got to make a decision."

"Well, who would you choose?" Jackie cringed.

Kevin scrunched his face, figuring it was obvious. "Uh, hello. Who do you think?" he sneered. "Colin. He's hot and foreign. This 'Steven' person already had his chance."

Jackie groaned. "But I love him, and he's changed. I mean, don't you think it's all kind of romantic? Even just a little?" She smiled, bringing her hand to her heart. "We loved each other but we were too young and kept breaking each other's hearts. But now we're grown," she explained earnestly. "And he still loves me, Kevin. He said he never stopped. That he was a mess when we broke up and that's why he acted the way he did."

Kevin looked up to the ceiling. "I know. You told me all of this."

"I'm in love with him, Kevin," Jackie pouted. "I always have been. There's just something about him that I can't resist."

Her friend sighed. "Fine. It's the teensy-weensiest bit romantic," he conceded reluctantly. "But so isn't Colin." Kevin knitted his eyebrows, ready to plead the Irishman's case. "He loves you so much, Jackie. It's so obvious. And he's not going to hurt you. This _thing_ you have for Steven, what you're feeling, those butterflies... don't you think we all get them, Jackie? It's because he's new to you again. And yes, it feels good. But that feeling fades. And then what's left?"

Jackie looked down broodingly. "Well…" She had asked him—in his most sincere moment—what his plan for their future was and he still, all these years later, couldn't even say there was one.

"I know you, Jackie," her friend and co-worker continued. "Like a book." He leaned forward and spoke gently. "Will he want to get married some day? Does he want kids? I mean, if he does, and you _really_ love him, then follow your heart, sweetie. But if not... just promise me you'll figure out what it is that _you_ want, and what it is that they're willing to give you, before you give in to either of them."

Jackie looked up. "What _I_ want?"

"Yeah. _You._ Jacquelyn Burkhart. You deserve the world," he said. "And don't you ever forget it."

Having to get back to work, Kevin stood up, taking one of the mints from Jackie's bowl as the brunette turned her pensive gaze to the troll doll that sat, nearly forgotten, on her desk—the very one she had given Hyde years before.

The pajama-clad green-haired troll—aged and faded—smiled dutifully at Jackie as her friend sauntered away _._

 _This is the first day of the rest of your life._

Jackie exhaled, deflating into her seat. "Well, damn…"

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **That Evening**

 **5:26 PM**

Kelso raised his fist, on the verge of knocking, before he had a thought and turned around. He frowned at Hyde. "You're not going to tell him, are ya?"

"No."

"Well, are you going to be nice?"

"No," Hyde sneered.

"Well, fine but…"

"Just knock on the door!"

Reluctantly, Kelso turned and did just that. It was probably only a few seconds later that Hyde finally set eyes on his competition. He wasn't stupid, or too naïve to not realize that the foreigner was the better choice. He carried no baggage, no pain nor past—just a bare slate and the luck of faultless timing. He had not met her inside the stupidity of youth. He had not had to watch her body rocking against his best friend's in the back of a '74 Lincoln on more than one occasion. Colin had no such memories. Nor, did he have the foolishness of adolescent decisions on his record.

Hyde watched Colin's eyes fall on him and pause before the Irishman made the decision to hold out his hand. "Hyde."

"Colin," Hyde followed in mock-politeness and returned the pithy shake.

Colin let go and turned, letting both men inside Jackie's home—the very place that Hyde had freely roamed only days before. It smelled of her, everywhere. Like hairspray and perfume.

"You guys want a beer?"

Hyde raised his chin, accepting, and sat down, his eyes scanning the room for clues, any hint of how they'd spent the last twenty-four hours. But, to his dismay, the apartment was free of anything useful. He looked up in time to catch the raised eyebrows of Kelso—he was nervous, and acknowledging with Hyde the awkwardness of the situation.

"Be cool, Hyde."

Hyde smirked. "I'm good, man."

Within moments, Colin returned to the living room with three beers in hand and handed them to his two guests.

"Thanks," Hyde said quietly, searching for the subtle expression of sexual gratification on Colin's face as the foreigner took a seat beside Kelso on the couch. It wasn't something he tended to look for in a man, but nonetheless, he was looking for it. Staring. Studying. Probably a little too much, he figured and glanced up at the ceiling inconspicuously, and everywhere in between, as he opened and took a swig of his beer.

"So, what's going on?" Colin asked, addressing Kelso. "Jackie told me about you and Brooke."

Kelso sighed heavily and sat back with his beverage. "Yep. Trouble at the old homestead. The wedding's off, she says, but I'm hoping she'll forgive me eventually." He took a drink. "Maybe."

"Not if you keep showing up drunk, she won't," Hyde said.

"Man, Hyde. Why do you have to do that?"

"Because it's true. I know chicks, okay, and they don't…"

" _You_ don't know chicks," Kelso interrupted pointedly. " _I_ know chicks!"

Hyde shook his head. "Whatever, man. So…" Figuring this was just as good a time as any to implement his plan, he looked at Colin and offered a poorly feigned smile. "I heard you were gone for a while. New York, right?"

"Yeah," Kelso jumped in, attempting to block any conversation between his two friends. "He was New York City for work."

But Colin sat forward with a strange smirk. Hyde was always up to something. It was the game they played. "Yeah. New York. Why do you ask?"

Hyde puckered his chin. "No reason." He fixed a loaded stare on his opponent. "That's just a _long_ time to go away."

"Yeah. It I guess it is," Colin nodded, unfazed, before taking a gulp of his beer.

Hyde raised his eyebrows and grinned. "But the 'coming-back-home' sex must be pretty sweet, huh?"

Lowering his beer, Colin burned a solid gaze into Hyde, trying his damnedest to read him. He might have thought more of Hyde's mischievous glare but he had seen it a million times before, and had heard that tone enough to know that he couldn't stand his girlfriend's ex, but that he was harmless.

Subtly, Colin nodded. "Yeah."

Hyde brow furrowed deeply. "Yeah', what?"

"Yeah, what, _what?"_ Colin sneered.

"Okay!" Kelso intervened. "How about that stadium collapse, huh? I mean, can you believe they canceled the game over a few dead Bears fans?" He scoffed.

The lame distraction was enough to draw Colin's perplexed eyes away, but Hyde wouldn't break. Yeah, fucking _what_ , he wanted to know. His insides were boiling.

"So, Jackie must have been pretty happy, huh?" Hyde continued boldly, not at all ready to surrender. He had to know. Did she fuck him? Or, not?

"About what?" Colin asked him, willing to carry on, as well—never one to back down from anyone, especially someone as galling as Hyde.

"You coming home… you know." Hyde grinned again. "She must have been _really_ happy. I know when Jess got home… Oh, Jess was gone for a while, too, by the way." His grin grew. "Man, I'll tell ya, nothing but…" Hyde pursed his lips and pushed his rigid fist forward. "…for days." Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, he waited.

Colin frowned.

"You know, a good 'Welcome home' bang," Hyde nodded proudly as he smoldered furiously on the inside.

But Colin would not take the bait; he only smiled awkwardly, raising his eyebrows as he gave Hyde a falsified nod of approval. "Good for you, man."

Hyde rolled his eyes away. Damn it. He took a deep breath and drank from his can, his ears tuning out the whine of Kelso now telling his tale of Brooke woe to Jackie's boyfriend.

Her _boyfriend_.

Hyde closed his eyes and tried to make her quiet words rise to the surface of his discontented mind. I want _you_ , she had said. I love _you_. He tried to bring forward their last night in Brooke's bedroom, tangled together beneath the sheets. The way she had whispered to him. The way it felt to be inside her. That quieted it some, enough to make Hyde open his eyes and realize that he had learned nothing in the past seven years. It was he who had been untrustworthy. Not her. _He_ who was losing his mind with jealousy.

Hyde glanced at Colin and just knew—like he should have five minutes before—that he, Steven Hyde, was the last man to have her, to feel her on the inside.

He could _trust_ her.

 _He_ could trust _her_.

Smiling to himself, Hyde finished his beer and set it down just as the front door opened behind him. He turned his head and found Jackie's widening eyes, trained perfectly on him, and he instantaneously grinned. She looked incredible, dressed up for work, her coat's hood draped over her long, dark hair, perfectly curled.

Her eyes moved, though, toward Colin, to Kelso, and then back to him.

"Michael…Hyde…" Jackie dropped her purse and keys on the little table by the door.

Hyde was the first to speak. "Hey."

"Hey, babe," Colin followed with a slight smile, making Hyde roll his eyes and return to his forward sitting position, no longer facing Jackie.

Kelso grinned painfully at her.

"What's going on," Jackie asked casually, taking off her coat. Hyde could hear in her voice, though, that, just below the surface, she was panicking, probably wondering what they were doing here and what they had told Colin. He needed to get her alone. "What are you guy's doing here?"

"Oh." Kelso twisted his body and smiled at Jackie. "We were just driving by. Hyde had to see W.B., so…" He nodded aimlessly. "Yep. That's what's going on. Nothing else. We have no exterior motives."

"Ulterior," Hyde corrected and turned his head again, finding her eyes.

"Oh," Jackie smiled strangely and headed straight for the kitchen, rubbing her temple as she did. "OK, well does anybody want a beer?"

"No, actually we've got to go," Hyde answered, kicking Kelso as subtly as possible.

"Ow! Yeah, we have to go." He stood up with Hyde, getting kicked again. Kelso pursed his lips as he glared at Hyde. "Jackie, I really need to talk to you about Brooke. Could you walk us to the car?"

Jackie glanced at Colin, who was now sitting back on the couch with the remote. "Um…Yeah." She stepped toward the front door. "Just let me just get my coat. It's pouring outside." She pulled her coat back on and turned to Colin. "Baby…" Jackie shut her eyes, practically cringing at her word use, but quickly reopened them wearing an impressive, but forced, smile. "I'll be right back."

"Yeah, okay," he answered breezily, giving her a smile that made her want to slit her wrists for being such a horrible person. She forced herself out of her apartment, where Hyde and Kelso both stood, and shut the door.

" _What_ are you doing here, Steven?" she whispered harshly. "Are you crazy?"

"We need to talk." Hyde grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs with Kelso on their tail.

"Dude, make it fast. He's going to start wondering what we're doing?"

Hyde scoffed. "Like I care."

"Well, I do," Kelso returned.

"I do, too, Steven," Jackie added and yanked her hand away, knitting her brow at him as he opened the building's front door for her and smiled arrogantly. Jackie's hands balled into tight fists. "Ugh, Steven. I didn't do this to you. I told you," she complained as they, all three, stepped out into the rain. "…to give me a few days!" She let Hyde take her hand again and lead both her and Kelso against the brick exterior wall to the dark side of the building. Once there, they all seemed to spread apart.

Turning to face an angry Jackie, who stood safely against the brick, Hyde placed his hand over his mouth and then dropped it, sighing. "Kelso, can you go stand at that corner and watch the front door for him?"

"Yeah," Kelso agreed quickly and backtracked to the corner of the building, bringing himself to rest against the wall to keep dry.

"Steven…"

"I'm sorry, okay," Hyde cut in. "It was a stupid thing to do. I needed to see you."

Jackie sighed gently. "Steven…" She shook her head. "Look. This is going to take a while, okay? And you can't just show up here every day in the meantime."

"It's one time."

"It's the first day, Steven," she scolded.

Hyde blew out a breath. "Fine. But it wasn't for no reason. I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"I broke it off with Jess."

Jackie performed a double-take. "You _what_?"

"I broke up with her," he repeated. "Last night."

"I thought you were going to wait?"

"Well, I couldn't. She wanted to, you know, do stuff. I had no choice, Jackie. It was either break up with her or _do it_ with her. Which would you have preferred?"

"Oh." Frowning at this, Jackie looked down thoughtfully.

Hyde watched her, slowly beginning to nod as he waited and waited for the smile to come, for the squeal, the hug, something. "Calm down, Jackie. I wouldn't want to break a sweat with all your excitement."

She looked up, not appreciating his tone. "Well, what do you want me to say, Steven?"

"I don't know, how about being happy?"

"I _am_ happy. And relieved," she sighed, slacking against the wall. "But I need more time. And just because you were able to just dump Jessica like that," she snapped, "doesn't mean that I can do the same."

Hyde shifted his weight, his throat parching, his mind reeling. "How much time?"

"I don't know." Jackie turned her eyes to the shimmering sky. "It's so much harder than I thought it would be. He's being so sweet and…he didn't do anything wrong." She flashed him a fatigued look. "It's just hard, okay?"

An indignant scowl came over Hyde's face. "You don't think it was hard for me? You think it was easy for me to stand there and be a dick while she cried?" He stepped forward aggressively. "She begged for me, Jackie. She said I was fucking hurting her, that she loves me. You think it was easy to push her away after that?"

"It was easy for you to push _me_ away," Jackie replied off the cuff. Her tone wasn't accusing or bitter. It just was. It was the truth. And Hyde rolled his head back and closed his eyes, wondering if she was really over it all like she claimed to be, and if the damn rain would ever stop. It was soaking the back of his clothes.

"Do you at least have a plan?" he asked her a moment later, breaking the silence.

"No."

"Well, do you have an idea of when?"

"No, okay. I don't. Stop pressuring me." With an abrupt jolt, Jackie pushed herself off the wall and wandered in front of him. "This is all happening so fast, and it's like I don't even have time to think! We just made this huge decision! God, Steven, three weeks ago we were at each other's throats, and now…this!" Frustrated, she cupped her fingers over her nose and closed her eyes. "It's just happening too fast."

Hyde looked away, his lips turned inwards. He shook his head and started to laugh disdainfully. "Man…" He tossed Jackie a scornful look. "I fuckin' knew it."

Jackie dropped her hands. "Oh, God. You knew _what_?"

"I knew you were going to pull this crap on me," he clarified. "This is exactly what you wanted, huh? Just to see if I would do it for you? Like every other chump that does what you say." He stared at her for a moment, growing angrier with each off-putting thought. "Did you _ever_ really plan on breaking up with him, Jackie?"

Jackie's eyes widened angrily. "Yes, Steven, I did." she yelled.

"You _did_."

"Yes," she answered calmly. "I just don't want to hurt him, okay?"

" _Fuck_ him, Jackie! You're hurting _me_." Stepping toward her, Hyde pointed sternly. "I'm going to tell you something right now. I didn't put Jess through that crap for nothing. If she could take it, then he can take it." He lowered his hand and shrugged carelessly, his anger shifting instantly into malice. "And if you don't tell him, I will."

"You will not," Jackie growled in warning. "I will never forgive you, Steven." She held her stare on him, daring him to continue his threats. And he simply stared back, daring her to keep playing her game and fucking with his head.

"Fuck!" But he broke first and turned away.

"Alright, I can't take this anymore!" Kelso walked up, shaking his head in disgust. "Man, what is the matter with you guys? How did you not kill each other when you were together?"

Hyde returned to where he had stood. "Believe me," he grumbled, eyeing his stubborn ex-girlfriend. "It took everything I had not to strangle her every day."

"Me?" Jackie scoffed. "Please. You're lucky I didn't smother you in your sleep."

Kelso rolled his eyes and dared to step in between the current stare down. "Alright. That's enough. You guys are ridiculous. One minute it's all…" Kelso flipped feminine eyes to the sky. "Oh, Steven. I want you. I love you so much. And" His voice deepened. "Oh, Jackie. I want to run away with you to Barbados…"

"What?" Hyde sneered. "I never said that."

"You didn't?"

"No!"

"Huh? Weird. I always thought that was you."

"What's your point, man?"

Curious, Kelso looked between the broken pair. "You know. This seems really familiar… Oh wait…" Having an idea, he walked between them and turned around, making it so that Hyde was now on his left and Jackie was on his right. "Yep. This was it," he realized. "You were there and you were there. And we're back to this again."

"Michael…"

"No, Jackie. I'm done trying to fix you two."

Hyde grimaced. "Trying to fix us? Man, you're the damn reason everything is the way it is."

"Fine," Kelso screeched. "Blame it all on Kelso! 'Wah! Kelso was in a towel. I better go marry a stripper!"

Jackie started to laugh and covered her mouth.

Kelso turned to his chuckling ex. "That's not funny. You promised Hyde something yesterday, Jackie, and he broke up with Jess because of it. I was there. She was crying her eyes out, and you know how I don't like to see girls cry."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I already know, Michael. It made you want to do it with her!"

Letting her know she was correct, Kelso pointed at her and turned to Hyde. "And Hyde, man, she told you before that she needed some time to end things with Colin, and you said 'OK'. Am I right?"

Hyde turned away and shook his head in ire. "Whatever."

"I'm going to take that 'Whatever' as a 'You're absolutely right, Kelso, you handsome devil.' And now I'm going to go back to my corner and think about how I'm going to get my fiancé to talk to me because some of us have _real problems!"_

Shamefully, Jackie and Hyde stood as their friend walked away and left them to each other once again. The night was dark with only a few faraway street lamps revealing the sheets of rain that fell behind Hyde. Facing him, Jackie listened to the peppered trickles of water flowing in small rivers on the ground, feeling the cool mist hit her hands and face. It was so cold tonight and his breath was showing, she realized as she looked up. He was stuck in a wooly stare, his eyes landing somewhere behind her right hand.

Jackie's shoulders fell. He looked so tired and embittered. He looked that way a lot these days, she was noticing, and wondered if it was because of her. "Steven."

Hyde snapped out of his daze.

Jackie's expression saddened. "I'm so sorry." She reached out and caught his hand as she simultaneously rested her back against the wall. "C'mere… Please." Clutching his shirt inside her fists, she pulled him close. "Look, I'm _really_ sorry, okay." A pout formed over her lips. "You broke up with her for me, and I yelled at you. And I shouldn't have." She closed her eyes regretfully, hating the words as they flew from her lips. "I _know_ how you felt about her." She opened her eyes to gauge his reaction.

But he had no response.

Jackie sighed. "Okay. Normally," she continued, locking eyes with him. "We would lie to each other. Right? _You_ would lie and say that you don't love her, or me. You'd say that you don't love anyone." Hauntingly, she smiled, remembering that first boy she had been in love with. "You only love Zeppelin… _and_ … Camaros… and…"

Hyde exhaled. "French fries."

"Yeah," Jackie laughed slightly. "And normally I would lie and say that I was fine and that I can handle anything, and that I'm not scared. But, here's the thing Steven; I am. Okay? I'm terrified. It feels as though I'm jumping out of an airplane or something." She raised her eyebrows in near panic. "After Michael just packed my chute."

Suddenly, Hyde smiled. "Yeah. That would suck."

Jackie nodded. "Steven, you have no idea how…" She looked down, searching for the words. "How shocked I still am that all of this is happening. That you actually broke up with her for…" Letting the realization of what really happening wash over her, Jackie closed her eyes.

"Look," Hyde cut in. "I'm scared too, okay. I'm not going to lie to you Jackie. I care about her. A lot. And I'll miss her. But…I'll get over it. Just don't tell me that I did it for no reason. Don't tell me I have to watch you and Colin together after this. Just the thought...it's driving me crazy."

"Imagine actually doing it, watching me with him, as I kiss him, listening as we..."

"Okay. I know. I don't know how you did it. You're stronger than me. You're better."

"I'm not better. I just cheated too."

"Fine, we're both terrible, but it's why we belong together. We know each other is terrible and we love each other anyway. It's... creepy and unnatural, like they said." He looked away and chuckled. "Huh. I think I get it now." Turning back to Jackie, he grabbed her face. "We belong together. You and me."

At the look in his eyes, one of determination, Jackie's own eyes grew rounder. He was so sure, and she suddenly felt trapped, like a confined animal. Obligated to two. She had promised them both, hadn't she? Nearly betrothed herself in half.

"Just give me some time," she uttered, more terrified than ever. It _wasn't_ a dream. It wasn't a game. It was real to her now. And she wondered how it hadn't been before. She guessed the difference was that _now_ he had done his part; he had actually followed through. Steven Hyde dove over that cliff while she still stood on their ledge, too petrified to jump with him.

Her gaze fell to her fidgeting hands as her eyes filled with tears. "I'm so scared he's going to hate me, Steven. _And_ I'm terrified that I'm not going to be able to do it, and that _you're_ going to hate me. Either way, someone is going to hate me."

Hyde closed his eyes, his chest feeling as though it was taking on an extra thousand pounds of weight. He wanted to scream at her and wrap his fingers around her neck or bail. But, of course, he didn't. He only shook his head and felt her squeeze him tightly as she nuzzled her face into his chest.

"I'm scared," he heard her muffled voice whimper and tried to remember that she had, in the last three weeks, never professed to be anything other. And if he couldn't accept the things she was now, the things she was honestly confessing to be, the thing she only ever braved to reveal to him, then what was the point of it all?

"Hey."

Jackie looked up.

His choices had run out. Make demands and push her away or sit back and wait, going crazy. He would do neither. "I love her."

Jackie watched him in silence, her eyebrows creasing.

"But I gave her up. For you," he said sternly, his expression hard, forcing his point. "That's how much I love _you_. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. But I'll do anything now to prove it to you. Even if that means waiting. Whatever you do, just please remember that."

Hyde removed her arms from his waist and dragged her back toward Kelso. As they passed him, he pushed Jackie forward gently toward the front doors of her building, saying nothing.

Confused, Jackie turned around and shared a look with him that left no more need for conversation. The ball was in her court now, and she knew, he had put down his pride and given away everything to be with her, and that he would probably never look at her in love again if she didn't return the gesture.

Slowly Jackie turned forward and headed dazedly back into her home.

"Hey," Colin smiled as she walked in. "Come and sit down with me. I missed you."

"I…I actually don't feel good." She wasn't lying. She felt sick to her stomach. "I'm going to go take a shower, I think, and then go to bed."

Colin sat up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, no I'm fine…" Aware of her transparency, Jackie made a move for the bathroom.

But behind her, he was already getting up. "Jackie. Wait." Colin caught up and spun her around. "What happened?"

Jackie shook her head and then burst into tears. "No-o-o-othing!"

"Jackie." Colin grabbed her and yanked her into an embrace. "Baby, what's wrong? Tell me. Did that prick say something to you? I'll fucking kill him."

"No. No," she shook her head and sunk into his hug. "It has nothing to do with them. I just feel sick over what's happening with Michael and Brooke."

"Oh." Above her head, Colin appeared sympathetic but confused. "Do you need anything? Do you want me to go to the store and get you something?"

"No." Jackie backed up and looked at him, bringing her hands to warm cheeks. "God, you are so good to me." She sniffled and shook her head. "I just want to take a bath and go to bed, okay?"

Colin nodded. "Okay."

Jackie smiled amorously and, eventually, locked herself inside her bathroom. She turned on the shower as hot as she knew her body could tolerate and slipped out of her clothes. And once she stepped under the hot spray, she began to sob.

The situation was finally becoming clear. She wanted them both. Loved them both. But unlike it had been for Hyde, she was realizing, there was no clear answer for her. The love came in different forms and was bonded by different memories, different feelings, and inside different parts of her heart. There was no way to tell anymore which were the better guides, which were going to lead her to a happy life, and which might lead her to regret. She had been depressed for so long and she didn't want to feel that way anymore. She wanted to feel safe and happy, but right now, she felt neither. She felt stuck …

* * *

 **Tuesday**

 **November 20, 1984**

 **Mickey's Drive-In Restaurant**

 **Point Place, Wisconsin**

 **1 PM**

Smiling flirtatiously, Hyde's waitress-on-skates winked down at him. "It's $7.98."

"Keep the rest." He handed her a ten and watched her roll away before grabbing the two sodas from the tray and handing one to Kelso.

"Is there a straw?"

Hyde looked. "Uh, yeah." He grabbed both straws and their food.

"Man," Kelso sighed after taking a bite of his hamburger. "If I tell you something, you promise not to tell anyone?"

"No."

"Come on, man."

"What?"

"I saw that chick again. The one with the kid," Kelso finally admitted shamefully. "I was at Fuzzy's the other night and she…"

"The bar?" Hyde asked, shoving French fries into his mouth.

Kelso nodded. "I'm going to see her again on Thursday."

Hyde scowled and threw a fry at his friend.

"Hey! You don't understand, man." Kelso looked down. "You have to come with me. There's sort of a problem."

"What problem?" Hyde held out his hands, but Kelso remained silent. "What problem, man?"

"It's a matter of life and death."

"Damn it, Kelso," Hyde whipped another fry at him. "Stop being so dramatic and just tell me!"

"Alright, but first give me some ketchup!"

"No! You tell me first!"

"Not 'til I get some ketchup!"

"Fine!" Hyde threw several packets of ketchup at his grating friend. "Now tell me!"

"Fine! God!"

* * *

 **Jessica's Apartment**

 **2:11 PM**

Alone in her apartment, a place she hadn't seen in weeks, Jessica lay on her side, rolled up inside a heavy comforter, listening to Elton John. Her eyes were swollen nearly shut but, thankfully, there were no tears left to shed. They were all cried out.

 _What have I got to do to make you love me  
What have I got to do to make you care…_

"Jess?"

Jessica sighed. "Go away," the depressed blonde answered groggily, her voice nearly gone.

"I told you he was going to do this."

Pulling in a deep breath, Jessica straightened her legs and looked back at her sister Sera. "Let me guess, you're happy he did it, so you could tell me over and over again how you told me so. Right?"

"No," Sera said and sat down on the opposite side of the bed. "I'm just saying that it's not you. It's him. And everyone else could see it, when you couldn't."

Jessica shook her head as she started to cry again. She was exhausted. "Please, just go. I want to sleep."

Sera sighed. "Did he say why?"

"No," Jessica breathed out and yawned, closing her eyes as her sister's weight impressed further onto the bed. She was laying down now so Jessica made the decision to roll over and face her only sibling. "I don't know what to do," she admitted softly. "I don't even know what happened. I came back, and he was acting so different. He wouldn't touch me or kiss me, nothing." More tears arrived. "He's acting like we were never together, like he can't stand me. And I don't know where it all came from. We were fine. We were happy."

"Well, lying in bed and listening to sad songs isn't going to make you feel better."

Jessica smiled pathetically. "Oh, yes, it is," she retorted, rejecting her sister's theory right as few more rogue tears hit her pillow. "What else is there to do?"

Both were quiet, listening to the music and thinking until Sera sighed. "Jesus, this song is fucking depressing," she laughed weakly, making Jessica laugh painfully, too.

"That's the point."

Sera propped herself up on her elbow and looked down. "You know, Jess. Are you sure he didn't meet someone else?"

Jessica's eyes widened. "What?"

"I mean, you were gone all that time and…"

"No," Jessica interrupted, shaking her head with confidence. "He wouldn't do that. He just…I think maybe he's upset about his store and Leo? I don't know."

"So, what, he took it out on you? Come on."

"Well, what then?" Jessica shrugged, thinking back. "We were perfect when I left." Her sister gave her a look. "Okay, not perfect, but pretty good." She brought her fingers to her eyes to rub. "What do I do? All my stuff is there."

"Do you want me to get it?"

"No," Jessica answered. "Well, maybe." She shrugged unsurely. "I don't know."

Having some mercy on her only sibling, Sera sat up and sighed. "Do you want him back?"

Jessica frowned warily. "Yes."

"Alright, I will help you." Sera pointed sternly. "But you have to do _exactly_ what I say..."

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **7:15 PM**

It was hard to explain why she was planted on the other end of the couch. Jackie simply hoped that Colin wouldn't ask. She felt his eyes land on her several times, but no sound left his lips, thankfully. She had kissed him several times today and let him fondle and kiss her the night before, only stopping him each time he would try to take it further, still using the burgeoning period story as her excuse.

When he slept, he ground restlessly against her. And, in return, she shoved him away.

In her mind, she was the worst person on earth. The immense guilt was eating her alive. Who did that to someone they loved after a year and half together? Only the worst of the worst, the lowest of the low. He loved her, and he just wanted to touch her and feel loved back. In her selfishness, she was denying him of that, but had taken it gluttonously for herself from another.

Inside her peripheral vision, Jackie caught his glance again but this time he leaned over and hooked her waist, pulling her over.

"Colin!"

With a gentle smile, Colin ignored her complaint and kissed her mouth, once, then twice, testing her, then slipping his tongue inside, forcing her to yet again break her promise to Hyde as she kissed him back. It was getting more and more difficult to explain to her boyfriend why they couldn't kiss and touch and do the things that boyfriends and girlfriends do. She couldn't find the way to explain to him that they were over. Truth be told, she wasn't entirely sure she ever would. And she wasn't sure that she wanted to. In the presence of both men, she was finding that the perspectives changed, desires flared, and promises flew right out the damn window.

But enough was enough, Jackie decided as she backed her head away. She couldn't do this to Colin anymore. As Hyde had tried to explain to her the night before, it was either break up with them or fuck them. Strangely, there was no in between. "Colin, we need to talk."

Colin rubbed his lips together, tasting her lip gloss. "About what?"

"About us." Jackie metered him, watching for signs of distress, but he seemed fine. "About our relationship."

"Okay," he said.

"Okay, well…" Jackie frowned, trying to merge the words properly in her head. "You know how people… people in relationships… grow and change and start to want things… You know?"

Colin grimaced and shook his head.

"Um… Like when I bought those boots that one time, remember?"

"Which ones?"

"The furry ones. With the little tassels. I just had to have them but it was mid-season and then it snowed really badly and I never had a chance. Then the spring came, and I couldn't wear those fur boots anymore, Colin. And it was really hard to let go of them, 'cause they were just _so_ unbelievably beautiful. But it was time for sandals. I mean, what could I do?"

Colin looked around the room, confused. "Are we still talking about us?"

"Colin," she scolded, rolling her eyes. It's like he wasn't even listening. "I'm just saying that… the seasons are changing."

"Jackie," Colin cut in. "I know what you're saying, okay?"

"You do?"

"Yeah." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "And you don't need to worry. I have it handled. I promise." She watched him get up. "I'm going to go pick up dinner now. You need anything while I'm out?"

Jackie's shoulders drooped. "Yeah, we need soda…"

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **7:33 PM**

With Kelso waiting behind him, Hyde unlocked his front door and laughed. "Man, I thought you were going to cry."

"So did I," Kelso chuckled back.

"Did you hear about Forman and Fez, when they went to the—" Stepping inside his apartment, Hyde immediately heard sounds coming from his bedroom—banging and moving around. The lights were out, making the place a sullen blue while his bright bedroom light shined a bright shade of yellow. "Hey," he whispered to his friend, holding an arm out. With his fingers, he gestured for Kelso to follow him.

In the near-dark, they both skulked, ready to pounce the would-be burglar. When Hyde rounded the corner, though, he saw a familiar blonde placing piles of clothes in a large suitcase.

Hyde relaxed. "It's just Jess," he said, and motioned for Kelso to go into the living room.

When Kelso was gone, Hyde stepped inside his bedroom and cleared his throat, so not to scare her. But she still jolted slightly as she turned.

Upon seeing him, Jessica breathed a sigh of relief and returned flat-faced to the task at hand. "You scared me."

"Sorry."

"I'll be done soon. I figured you'd be gone a while."

Hyde stepped forward. "It's okay." It was obvious to him that she had been crying. Her normally refined face was swollen. No color shined her lips. Her cheeks were blushed, though, red as a pomegranate, to match her puffy, red eyes. He watched her pack. She wouldn't even turn a gaze to him, and it felt strange. Cold. He'd remembered that disinterest from her before, back in the beginning. And he didn't like it.

Jessica finally turned, annoyed. "You're going to watch me? It's not like I'm going to steal anything."

"No," he answered quietly. "I know. I just...I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Slamming a pair of jeans down in her suitcase, Jessica looked up at the wall in front of her. She paused, and thought about it, and decided not to respond. Talking only made him recoil. Silence was a more prudent teacher for him. She'd learned it quickly.

So, Jessica returned to her packing without responding.

"Jess." Hyde walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, facing away from her. "Look. I…" He dragged his fingers therapeutically down his face. "I shouldn't have been such a dick about it."

"Whatever. You got your point across." Rigidly, Jessica walked back into his closet and quickly yanked a few dresses from their hangers.

Hyde was stunned. His shoulders sunk. He felt… insignificant suddenly. He felt exactly the way her eyes were seeing him. It was bizarre to him, having someone love him one minute and then ignore him the next as if he were a stranger. The feeling was foreign to him, and he didn't like it.

They were quiet for a while as she packed, gathering every single one of her belongings. There was so much he realized. The dress she had worn when she forced him to dinner with her father. The blue bikini from Florida. A shirt she had worn near the beginning of their relationship when whole days were spent in bed. He'd taken it off her more than a few times.

Hyde watched her pack it all in silence, not a word falling from her lips, not a single tear from her eyes. She moved faster than he would have expected, like she was genuinely in a hurry to get the hell away from him. He'd thought she'd fight for him. She had sworn, in so many words, so many times, that she would. And it was making him angry.

"I didn't mean what I said," he spat stubbornly.

"We don't need to talk."

"Why not?"

Jessica shrugged impassively and continued her activity. "Why bother? It's over."

Hyde held out his hands, growing confused and more irritated. "Because…" He scoffed. "You know what, forget it." He got up, and as he walked away, he couldn't help but notice that she wasn't stopping him. Hyde shook his head and walked out to Kelso, who was raiding the refrigerator. "Fucking chicks, man," he blurted out, grabbing a beer.

Kelso frowned questioningly.

"They're all liars."

"Yeah, they are," the taller man quickly agreed, shoving a carrot in his mouth.

Hyde shook his head. "She doesn't even give a crap that I broke up with her."

"Well, that's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah." Hyde took a swig. "It's just…" He shook his head, taking another drink. "Whatever." Letting his anger overtake him, Hyde slammed his beer can down and headed for his bedroom again. "What the hell, Jess?" he yelled upon arrival.

She looked over and frowned in bewilderment.

"So that's it? What was all that bullshit about the other night?"

The blonde rolled her eyes away. "What's the matter, Steven? Am I not acting pathetic enough for you?"

"No." His scowl was giving him a headache. And it was growing deeper with each silent second. He hated being ignored. Hated not being the one in control. "Did your sister put you up to this?"

"Up to what?" Jessica asked heedlessly, neatly folding a pair of pajamas. "Not taking your shit anymore?"

He wanted to say 'YES!', but pursed his lips and looked away instead.

Seemingly in her own world, Jessica smiled and raised her favorite dress—his favorite dress—high above her head and turned to her ex-boyfriend, a sleek smile showing over her face. "What do you think, Steven," she asked charmingly and placed the garment over her body, cocking her head to the side as she approached him. "Do you think I look sexy in this?"

Hyde frowned, utterly confused.

Without taking her eyes off him, Jessica placed the dress down on the dresser and then, without notice, and still with her ill-behaved smile, pulled off her sweater. Hyde swallowed. He didn't say a word as she slid her pants down her legs and grabbed hold of him for stability as she removed them completely, along with her boots. Her smirk never wavering, her stare never leaving his, she slipped off her bra.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting your opinion," Jessica explained plainly, standing only in her panties. "If you don't want to help, I can always ask Kelso." After retrieving her dress, she took only moments to slip it on and spin around. "Could you?" she asked, turning her head and gesturing to her exposed back.

Reluctantly, Hyde zipped up the dress, and Jessica turned around with a sly smile. "What do you think?"

"You know what I think."

"Yeah, but… Is it suitable for a first date?" she asked, moving toward the closet. "I mean, I don't think he'll care what I'm wearing, but we're going to that fancy new club, Expose," she said from out of sight. "…and I don't want to be under-dressed."

He felt it coming up through his throat, the bitter jealousy. The possessiveness was choking the life out of him and his eyes locked, burning as his body refused to blink.

Jessica returned with the last of her belongings: a pair of black heels, swinging from her raised fingertips. "So?"

He only stared glaringly at her.

Jessica kept walking. "Steven?"

Hyde's eyes followed her sauntering form. "Who are you going out with?"

"Well… it's actually none of your business, but I guess it doesn't matter now." She dropped her heels onto her suitcase. "Right?"

"Who the hell is it?" he repeated calmly.

"Marcus. You know, from work."

"That asshole that's always hitting on you?"

"The very one," she smiled. "I was so upset, and he was there for me. We talked all night, and he convinced me that I deserve better. Then—you know Marcus—he asked me out."

His teeth grinding, Hyde drew in a shaky, adrenaline-fueled breath. "Are you playing games with me?"

"Well, I don't know. I mean, I _am_ going out with him tomorrow night. That's not a lie." She shrugged and slipped back out of her dress, giving it a quick once over. "I think he'll like it," she determined and put it back on its hanger before closing up her bag.

He watched her get dressed. "He's going to think you're a slut if you sleep with him on the first date."

"What?" Jessica looked up, her eyes narrowing. "Is that what you think of me?" she asked. "That I'm going to fuck him on the first date? Did I fuck you on the first date?"

"I'm not saying that you're…" Hyde looked away, shaking his head. "Whatever. Do what you want."

"Don't worry, Steven," Jessica said. "He won't think I'm a slut if I just fool around with him a little. You know, a little kissing and maybe a little touching in the right places." She winked.

Hyde laughed mockingly. "Real cute, Jess."

Jessica smiled and stepped up to him. "Carry my bags?" she asked and walked out. "There's two," she yelled back. "One's on the floor by your side of the bed."

Hyde shook his head. "God damn it…"

* * *

 **Wednesday - November 21, 1984**

 **The Home of Michael Kelso's Parents**

 **Point Place, Wisconsin**

"What are you going to do, Brooke." Standing at her front door, Marie Kelso grabbed her grandson and drew her granddaughter to her side.

Brooke shook her head. "I'm not sure yet. But I'll be back as soon as possible." She kissed her children goodbye and turned her eyes back to Kelso's mother. "Fuzzy's, right?"

The woman nodded. "Fuzzy's…"

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **7:11 PM**

Jackie looked at her reflection in her bathroom mirror and rubbed her lips together, blending in the warm red lip stick. Deep inside, common sense told her that Colin was planning to propose tonight. He was just anxious, nervous. Unlike her, he was terrible at keeping secrets. She lowered her eyes and studied her little black dress, raising her fingers to adjust the straps. She had been waiting her whole life for a night like this, had suspected it on many occasions, from many men, but this time, it felt possible, and at the same time, for the first time, completely terrifying.

Suddenly, he entered the room behind her, dressed in a suit. "You ready?"

Faintly, she nodded.

Colin hugged her from behind and cocked his head, keeping her image in the mirror. "You're so beautiful."

She smiled at his reflection. "You're handsome."

He smiled. "You're ready to go?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I just have to get my shoes on." She kept her gaze on him as he kissed her shoulder, then walked out.

Returning to the mirror, Jackie inhaled deeply and prayed, hoped, pleaded with God, that he hadn't chosen tonight, out of every night possible, after every hint, every push, every nag, tonight, tonight, of all freaking nights, to propose. How could she look him in the eyes, after a year of practically pleading for a marriage proposal, after a lifetime of wishing, with that sweet, handsome face of his, those big green eyes, his patient heart, how, God, _how_ could she say no?

* * *

 **Hyde's Apartment**

 **8:47 PM**

Beyond the disheveled haze of his mind, the sounds of Kelso's muffled laughter could be heard. But Hyde was braced in thought, staring into nothing as his brain fretted and pondered. He tightened his fist against his temple and sunk down deeper into the couch. It was Wednesday, and she had not called. Wednesday, all the way from Sunday. Wednesday, and she still had not broken it off with Colin.

For the first time in his life, he had sacrificed everything for her. He had been proud of himself. But the pride was fading; it represented Jackie. Her side. _Her_ pull on him. And on the other side, where shame resided, was Jessica. He was beginning to believe that her act the night before was just that, an act for him. It was _her_ pride, and it, too, would fade, even faster than his. She wasn't strong; she was sensitive and sweet. And tonight, she was going out with a sleaze just to forget about him.

Hyde swallowed and looked over. "Call again."

"She's not home."

"Just call, man."

Kelso sighed. "Fine," he grumbled and picked up the phone, dialing Jackie's phone number. It rang over and over, and on the eighth ring, he hung up. "I told you," he said, returning to his show. "Not there."

Hyde dropped his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. It was strange how, when he was with Jackie, it all seemed so absolute. She touched him and kissed him and made love to him like she wanted him, and only him. And now, well who knew what the hell was going on in that muddled brain of hers.

What was she doing, he constantly wondered, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the worst prospects imaginable. "I can't just sit here, man."

"Well, lay on the floor then."

"No." Hyde raised his head. "I mean I can't just sit here in this apartment."

"Well, where are you going to go?"

Hyde thought about it. There was only one problem he could fix tonight. One chance to ease his own mind, to make something right. "Get dressed. We're going out."

"What?! No way, man," Kelso staunchly refused. "Bosom Buddies' is on next."

"I need your help."

"For what?"

Hyde raised his eyebrows. "In case there's more than one."

"More than one what?"

"Guy. We're going to get Jess away from that piece of shit Marcus." Hyde stood up, suddenly energized. "Let's go!"

* * *

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Fuzzy's Sport's Bar**

 **8:54 PM**

Her heart felt like it was shaking violently in her chest, nearly about to burst through her ribcage. With each step inside, Brooke could not rationalize being here anymore. On the drive over, she had felt the telltale vigor of courage. A fool's adrenaline had kept her moving forward. But here, finally in this place, it was nowhere to be found, leaving only a fool.

The normally-confident librarian stepped up cautiously to the bar.

"What can I get ya?" the bartender asked.

"Oh. Um. Nothing. I'm actually looking for Christie. I was told she worked here."

"Christie? Yeah. Hang on." The large man searched the room and pointed at a waitress wearing green and white, serving customers. "Right there," he told her and quickly moved on to another customer.

"Thanks." Brooke sat down on a bar stool, frozen, her body twisted awkwardly as she stared at the pretty brunette. She seemed younger tonight, thinner and paler, and just as fatigued as Brooke felt.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to renew her nerve, Brooke stood up and walked toward the girl. Flashes of the man she loved kissing this woman, making love to her, screened before her eyes, making her heart burn with jealousy. But she continued forward, stepping up behind her. "Excuse me."

The girl wheeled around, mild shock washing over her thin face.

Brooke tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. "We need to talk..."

* * *

 **Wind Lake**

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **9:27 PM**

Jackie looked around. "Colin, what are we doing here?"

"You'll see." After pulling the keys out of the ignition and grabbing a blanket from the back seat, he got out of the driver's side and walked around the car.

He opened her door for her.

"Colin…"

Holding his hand out for her, Colin smiled. "Come on." But when she refused to move, he squatted down and let his smile fall away. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I've got my Gucci's on," she explained pointing to her heels. "I don't want them to get muddy."

Colin shook his head. "It's gravel. It's not even wet. It hasn't rained here in two days. Come on."

Jackie sighed. "Fine." She took his hand and got out. "Where are we going?"

Colin pointed toward the lake. "Just down there."

She watched him as they walked. Ever since dinner, she couldn't seem take her eyes off of him. He looked so nervous, and, yet, contented with whatever he was about to do. She looked down at their bound hands and wondered; would her naked finger be dressed soon? What would she say if it was?

As they closed in on the shore of the lake where a bench sat, Colin looked her over. "Are you cold?"

"No," she replied and opened her mouth to speak again as he turned his head. Maybe if she stopped him now. With what, though? What would she say? And she found, as she closed her mouth, that she had nothing at all, no idea how to stop the impetus of this night. She didn't have the heart. Or maybe, maybe it wasn't what she thought at all. Maybe it was just a moment, maybe it was their last, and she found herself clutching him tighter, not wanting to let go.

When they reached the bench, Colin took the blanket and draped it over the seat side facing the water. "It's dry," he said as he sat her down.

"What are we doing here?"

He sat down next to her. "I wanted to bring you here." He furrowed his eyebrows at her. "Did I ever tell you about this place?"

"No."

"Well," he started as Jackie moved a little closer to his side, finding it chillier by the water. "Remember when I told you about how I moved here from Belfast?"

"Uh-huh."

"I only had my aunt and uncle here. It was before the rest of my family came, and I had I didn't know anybody." He shook his head. "I hated it here. I thought all Americans were fuckheads."

Jackie laughed. "Why?"

"Because they were acting like fuckheads," he laughed, making her giggle.

"I'm sorry, baby," Jackie smiled, dropping her head on his shoulder.

"Anyway, I really wanted to go home. But my dad wouldn't let me. They had already paid for my first semester and I had to, at least, finish what they paid for. I started going out to the pubs with some of the guys from school. They were good guys. But I missed home. I had a girlfriend there."

A twinge of jealousy, and Jackie perked up. "You did?"

He nodded. "Not for long. She ended up cheating on me, so…" Jackie watched a hint of sadness sparkle in his eyes. "That was it." He smiled, though. "It doesn't matter. The point is that I _hated_ it here, and she only made it worse." His back straightened as he pointed across the lake. "You know my aunt Mary and Uncle David?"

"Uh-huh."

"They used to live where those lights are. You see that row of lights?"

"Yeah."

"Right there. I used to come out here." He shrugged. "Just to get away from them, I guess. And one night, I came out and there was this girl, sitting on that dock right there," he gestured at a small dock about a hundred yards away, causing Jackie to look over. "She was crying. Uncontrollably. And at first, I decided to leave. She wasn't being attacked or anything. She was just crying. But I felt like a prick when she looked at me." Colin blew out a long breath at the memory. "So, being a gentleman, I walked over to her. She started screaming at me to get the fuck away from her. So, I did. But I noticed," he laughed a little to himself, "that she had this rope tied around her ankle and at the other end of it was a rock. And it was a pretty big rock, too."

Jackie's eyes' widened. "Oh, my God."

"Yeah," he said. "So, I decided to stick around a little longer." Colin pointed again as she snuggled in even closer. "I sat down right there, and after a while, we started talking. She had just been dumped and wanted to die. That's what she said. She just… wanted to die."

"What happened?"

"Well…I didn't let her die."

Jackie laughed and swatted at him. "Well, I should hope not."

He laughed with her. "I got her home—alive—and the next day, when I woke up, I realized that if I had gone home like I wanted to, if I hadn't been here on that night, that girl may have done something really stupid. I figured that I must have been brought here for a reason. You know, maybe to save that a stupid American girl's life," he deduced with a smile. "Or maybe it was for something else. How could I know?"

Jackie smiled. "And you stayed."

"I stayed," he concluded. "But when I met you, Jackie… You know what I thought?"

"What?"

"That maybe it wasn't _me_ who was put there for _her_ that night. Maybe _she_ was put there for _me_ ," Colin explained. "Because if she hadn't been there, I would have gone home. But she was, and I stayed." He smiled. "So that I could meet the love of my life."

Without another word, Colin reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet ring box, making Jackie's heart seize its beating. Placing his knee into the dirt below her feet, he opened it and pulled out the most stunning engagement ring she'd ever laid eyes on, putting Donna's old pebble to shame. It was a princess cut diamond. A white-gold band. It was her dream, and she covered her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears. "Oh, Colin…"

"Jacqueline Beulah Burkhart." Colin looked up, vulnerable from where he knelt. "I'm sorry I don't say it enough. But I love you _so_ much." He shook his head gently. "You're the reason I'm here, the reason I get up every morning, happy to be exactly where I am." Carefully, and tenderly, he slipped what had probably cost him his life savings on her dainty ring finger. "Will you marry me?"


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: The Event Horizon**

 **Music:**

You Spin Me Round (Like a record) by Dead or Alive

* * *

 _December 28, 1979_

 _He had felt many things in his life: happiness, sadness, disappointed, anger—he felt that one a lot—but he had never felt this before. It was a sinking feeling. He understood the phrase now. The bulk of his chest had begun to literally sink, almost imploding on itself, the moment she walked away. How could she want Fez? Fez. And not him._

 _Hyde let his eyes fall to the kitchen table. How long had they been broken up? Three months, he figured in his head. Three months. Hyde looked up and closed his eyes. Three months, and she already wanted someone else. That look, the sick puppy one that he had been avoiding for as long as he could remember, that look had become the one thing he could rely on. It meant that someone still wanted him, that she wanted him, adored him, and saw in him something that not even he could see. She had always seen it, until now. That look was gone. And the sinking feeling was now here to fill in the void that that look had left behind._

 _He could get up. He could shout out her name and stop her, tell her that he still loved her, that he still wanted her, that he still saw her face every night when he closed his eyes to sleep. He could do and say all those things. He could fight for that look, and never let her walk away again. But the moment passed. It passed away without her, along with the next five years. If he had known that day, sitting at that table, if he had been able to see the future, he might have jumped from that chair. He might have taken Red's advice._

" _All you need to do is open your mouth, son."_

 _Hyde looked up. "What?"_

 _Placing a beer down in front of Hyde, Red sat down. "Let me just say something and then I'm done." The older man gave Hyde a hard, scrutinizing stare. "You're a smart kid, Steven, and I've let you make your own decisions. Not like Eric," he added, opening his own beer. "He needs to be pushed. But you, you're like me, the more people push, the more you pull away."_

 _Hyde sat back, confused by the abrupt speech._

" _Just here me out, Steven." Red looked down and frowned, thinking. "There are some people in this world that are our responsibilities. You may not ask for the responsibility, you may not want it, but they're yours nonetheless, until someone else takes them off your hands. And you can treat that girl however you want, but at the end of the day, she's still your responsibility, until someone else wants the job."_

 _Hyde opened his mouth, ready to refute the old man's claim, but stopped and turned his head toward the spot where she had been sitting._

 _Red stood up. "The things we take for granted today, could be gone tomorrow.' A great man said that once." With that, Red walked away and Hyde, well, he watched him go, having no idea what the hell any of it meant…_

* * *

 **…Five Years Later…**

 **Wednesday**

 **November 21, 1984**

 **Kenosha, Wisconsin**

 **Club Exposé**

 _Yeah, I, I've got to know your name  
Well, and I, could trace your private number, baby..._

Jessica shifted nervously in her seat and pinched her knees together, frowning as she brought them as close to the wall as possible. She was trapped between it and her worst nightmare, an octopus with a Flock of Seagulls haircut. And as her date, Marcus, continued to drone on about his dream of becoming a DJ, she began to glare at her sister, the mastermind behind this "brilliant" plan.

It was obvious that the older blonde knew nothing about Steven Hyde. He didn't chase. And rarely did he get jealous. Typically, he just made snide remarks and acted like he didn't give a shit. But her sister had sworn, bet her life on the fact, that if she had any chance of getting him back, this night would reveal the possibility.

Jessica felt a cold hand land on her thigh again and smacked it away. "Will you knock it off?"

Marcus held up his hands. "Hey, I was just trying to get your attention, babe."

Gritting her teeth, Jessica pointed at her sleaze of a co-worker/date. " _Don't_ call me 'babe' and stop touching me!"

"It's cool," he said. "The respectful type. I get it."

"You're not _getting_ _anything_ ," Jessica bit acrimoniously. "That's what I've been trying to tell you."

"Easy, babe. My hands are over here."

"Well, they better stay there," she warned, feeling like an animal on display at the zoo as he leered at her. Folding her arms over her over-exposed chest, she rolled her eyes, huffing at the confused expression on his face. "Look, I'm not trying to be mean, okay. I just don't appreciate being mauled on dates."

Marcus frowned and grabbed his beer. "You know, you're usually not in this foul of a mood."

"I'm having a bad week," Jessica grumbled, her scowl deepening as she angrily sipped at her Mai Tai.

"You're still upset about the break-up with that tool boyfriend of yours?"

Jessica narrowed her eyes and looked over. "He's not a tool. And it _just_ happened, okay." She raised her palms. "You know what? I don't want to talk about this with you."

"Why are you out on a date already if it just happened?"

"Them," she gestured sneeringly at Sera and her friend, Megan, who were seated around the table with their own boyfriends. "They thought I should get out of the house and stop crying over him. And they _thought_ that if…" Jessica turned toward her date, pleasantly surprised that he seemed to actually be listening. "That if he knew I was going out on a date that…" She sighed. "You know."

"That he would get jealous and want you back?"

Jessica nodded pathetically. "Stupid, huh?"

"Wait, what's-his-name knows we're here?" Marcus asked uneasily, straightening up in his chair.

"Yeah."

"What, are you trying to get me killed?" He made a few nervous glances around the club. "That guy hates me. He threatened to kill me that one time."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "He's not going to kill you, Marcus."

To her chagrin, her date suddenly turned to her with a distrusting glare. "You set me up."

"No." Jessica shook her head. "Marcus. He's not going to come." She leaned forward and reached out, unconsciously placing her hand on his knee "Hey. I swear. It was a stupid plan. He's not going to show up here for me. He doesn't care." Her final mistake was letting her eyes soften as she tried to ease his mind. Apparently, she had gotten too close, because, the next thing Jessica knew, she was being kissed.

Immediately, she backed up and slapped his chest. "Marcus!"

"Man, did you see that?" Hyde shouted angrily over the music to Kelso, his head moving left and right to try to re-find his view through the crowd. "She kissed him!"

Kelso raised his eyebrows and laughed. "Burn. Man, she didn't waste any time."

As Hyde looked on, adrenaline coursed through his veins with increased vigor. The irony and hypocrisy of his jealousy were clear as day to him, but when the crowd parted and he saw Jessica slapping the shit out of her date, he didn't care. His protective side took over.

"Will you relax? I thought you wanted it!"

Jessica slapped her date once more. "Well, I don't!" And like lightening to her dimmed pupils, the sight of Hyde rushing up behind Marcus stunned her from further movement.

In excited awe, Jessica watched Hyde slam the back of Marcus's chair down to the floor, causing his feet to fly into the air. Hyde picked him up by his shirt. "What did I tell you, man?" The force with which he slammed her date's body into the nearby wall caused every picture to fall to the floor with a crash, but only a few people noticed the commotion in the busy club. "Stay the fuck away from her!"

Her hero.

 _You spin me right round, baby  
Right round like a record, baby  
Right round round round_

Hyde grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her from her chair.

There was a brief moment, as her body was leaving her seat, that Jessica had time to beam happily at her smirking sister. But when she came face to face with Hyde, her eyes softened. "Steven."

"Damn it, Jess. What the hell are you doing?" In his next breath, though, his eyes softened, too. "Are you alright?"

Jessica's shoulders rose with her smile. "I'm great," she said adoringly, still stunned by his presence.

Finally becoming aware of the eyes that were trained on him, Hyde looked down, scanning the faces at her table and stopping at Sera. "What?"

All the usually-outspoken girl had to offer, though, was an obnoxious grin. "Nothing."

"Swell," Hyde muttered and turned his head, taking another opportunity to scare Marcus. "Let me catch you near her one more time."

Marcus cowered down as Hyde stepped forward threateningly. "Alright. Alright. I'll stay away from her."

But Jessica could only stare at Hyde, the smile never waning from her lips. Her eyes glowed in amazement. God, he had never looked so sexy to her than he did right now. She smiled dreamily down at her sister as Hyde yanked her dazed body away and pulled her through the dark, strobing crowd toward the exit, shoving the dancing bodies out of the way.

"Where are we going?" she yelled over the music.

"Outside."

"Are we going to your place?"

As they stepped out into the dry night and waded through the line of people who still waited to get inside, Hyde drew her close and began to look around the parking lot. Kelso, who had followed them out, simply leaned, bored, against a wall nearby.

Still enamored, Jessica moved in against Hyde's chest, the warm feeling overwhelming her as she stared up at him. "You still care about me."

Hyde continued to scan the parking lot. "Where's your car?"

"I don't have it," she replied. "Marcus picked me up."

"Man, you let that guy see where you live?"

Jessica laughed. "It's not like he's not going to stalk me. Not after what you did."

Hyde shook his head. "Damn it, Jess. Don't be stupid. There are a million assholes out there. And you're acting like 'La di da. Everything's fine."

"I was with my sister."

"Yeah, I could see she was doing a lot to help you, too."

Jessica grinned, still high from his arrival, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "He's harmless." Her smile grew even wider as he looked down at her and frowned. "You're still cute when you're angry."

"This is funny to you?"

For the first time ever, she was unfazed by his anger. The thrill of his presence, of him following her and defending her honor, overpowered everything. Her shoulders rose with another delirious grin. "You were jealous," she teased and squeezed him tightly.

Hyde studied her for a moment. "You're drunk."

"A little," she admitted blissfully.

Gently, Hyde pulled her arms from his waist and grabbed her hand. "Kelso!"

"Huh?" Kelso perked up and walked over.

Hyde tossed his keys over. "Go get my car."

"Where are we going?" Jessica asked as she slipped her hands beneath the hem of his sweatshirt and wound her arms back around him. Her eyes grew excited with fresh hope. "To your place?"

"No," he said, wondering how just looking at her could make him feel so remorseful. He was supposed to be able to turn himself off. Shut it all down to make it go away. But as the years trickled forward, it was becoming increasingly more difficult.

A few minutes later, Hyde took her hand and walked her to where Kelso had pulled up with the El Camino. He felt like a scumbag insisting that she leave the club, but he knew that guy. He knew guys like him. And, being heartbroken, she was vulnerable right now. Guys took advantage of that shit. He had done it himself. And as it stood, she was still his responsibility.

With Kelso in the driver's seat, Hyde opened the passenger side door and directed Jessica to scoot all the way to the middle so he could get in behind her. Once settled, she hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder, propping her legs carefully over his. "Are you going to come inside with me?"

Hyde let out a sigh of frustration. "Jess. This doesn't change anything. I know what you were trying to do. I just wanted to make sure that fucker didn't try anything stupid." He tipped his head and pointed. "Hey, Kelso, make a left."

When they got to her place, Hyde helped her out, shaking his head as she began to pull him toward her apartment.

"Jess, what are you doing?"

She looked back as they walked. "I want you to check my apartment."

"For what?"

"Well, how do you know some murderer guy hasn't noticed that I've been staying here alone the last few days and snuck in and is now waiting for me to come back home alone." She stopped and turned, giving him her most innocent, 'helpless girl' pout. "Please."

Aware of what she was up to, Hyde gave her a deliberate cock of his head. She was so full of shit. But knowing his life, the night he didn't check would be the night her 'murderer guy' would actually be there. "Alright," he agreed, pointing at her sternly. "But I'm leaving right after I check."

"Okay." She smiled victoriously as he gestured to Kelso that he would be right back and gracefully stumbled toward her front door. Within moments, they were both inside, alone in the dark.

With an impish smirk, Jessica shut the door and leaned back against it while Hyde held out his hands, forgetting the exact layout of her apartment. They never stayed here.

"Jess. Where's the light switch? I can't see crap." Immediately, he felt her hands grip the sides of his sweatshirt and pull him backwards.

Jessica wrapped her arms rightly around him. "Stay the night with me." She kissed his back. "Please."

"Jess, don't."

She turned him around and re-tightened her grip. "Don't you miss me? Even a little?" Tenderly, she pulled him with her back against the door, until she was sandwiched in.

Hyde sighed heavily. "What does it matter? We broke up."

It didn't take much else, just that reminder, for her to begin to cry. It wasn't hard. The tears simply softened her words as she spoke, asking the one question he could not honestly answer. "Why, though?" She raised her arms, slipping her hands to the back of his neck. "What did I do?"

Hyde shook his head. "You didn't _do_ anything, sweetheart," he replied, not stopping her when she brought her lips mere millimeters from his.

"Did you meet someone else?" Her whispered question struck him hard. "Please tell me."

"Jess," he said, resting his forehead to hers. "I can't be in this relationship anymore, okay? Can you understand that? It has nothing to do with you."

Jessica was quiet for a minute, just breathing as she began to play with the hem of his sweatshirt. "No," she said. "I can't understand it. We were happy when I left. Then, out of nowhere, you don't want me anymore. And now this, tonight. You're confusing me, Steven."

"Look, Jess, all the stuff I said, I didn't mean it, okay. You just weren't fucking listening to me. So, I had to…" He took a deep breath. "…I don't know how to explain it."

With what his night vision allowed, Hyde watched her brown eyes begin to wish, wishing for the same thing they always wished for. They never relented. Ever. He withdrew his head, realizing that he had given her hope. "Jess, why do you do this to yourself?" He expected her to start crying again, but instead she straightened herself up.

"Because I'm in love with you," she said and pulled him close again. "And I know you still care about me. You wouldn't have come tonight if you didn't." Rising to her tip-toes, she reached up and pressed her mouth to his, kissing him gently. "Whatever this is," she whispered. "I'll wait through it." Another tender kiss warmed his lips, and her tongue stroked his, making him close his eyes. "I'll wait for you. I swear to God I will. Just don't leave me."

"Jess—"

"Tell me you don't miss me at all. Tell me you feel _nothing_ for me, and I'll walk away right now." Her eyes pleaded with his for an answer, and Hyde brought his hands to her face. "Tell me."

"I can't."

* * *

 **Point Place, Wisconsin**

 **Fuzzy's Sports Bar**

Christie nodded at Brooke and turned her head. "Julie, can you take my tables for a minute?"

The girl nearby agreed, so Christie directed Brooke to a table at the back of the bar where they both sat down. After a few awkward moments passed, Brooke decided it was time to get down to brass tacks. "What do you want from him?"

The young woman across from her shook her head. "Nothing. I mean…" She sighed and sat back, relaxing a little. "OK, not _nothing_. But it's not what you're thinking,"

Brooke scoffed. "You have no idea what I'm thinking," she retorted glaringly.

"Well, I know what I would think." The girl rolled her eyes. "Come on. I'm not stupid. Girl shows up at your door with a baby, saying it's your husband's..."

"He's _not_ my husband," Brooke corrected and sat back stubbornly in her seat.

Christie frowned in confusion. "Wait. But he said you guys were getting married in a couple weeks."

"Not anymore."

"Damn it." Christie's shoulders drooped, and she covered and rubbed her palm's down her face. "Great timing, I have. Please don't do that. This is not…"

"Alright," Brooke sat up. "Just shut up for a second," she snapped. "I want to know what happened. I want to know about… that night. Right now."

Christie blew out a breath. "Fair enough," she agreed calmly. She rubbed her tired eyes and tried to think. "It was," she sat back, "about two and a half years ago. My fiancé had just dumped me, so my friend and I were out at a bar she frequented. She wanted to cheer me up, so, we got drunk." A wince of embarrassment washed over her face. " _Really_ drunk. And about halfway through the night, we met Kelso and…" She frowned. "The other one."

"Hyde," Brooke interjected.

"Right." Christie unconsciously twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "The one with the curly hair and sunglasses."

Brooke nodded. "Go on…"

"Kelso said that he had just gotten dumped, too. And we were just talking, at first. He was bombed. We all were. And," Christie rubbed her face again. "Look." She made eye contact with Brooke, her expression pathetic and full of remorse. "It was terrible. Okay. I barely remember it. It wasn't some magical, hot, passionate moment like you're probably worrying." Shamefully, the younger girl looked away again. "It just happened. I mean, I never sleep with men I don't know. I know you probably don't believe me but it's true."

Brooke just stared at the sorrowful girl and found herself starting to believe her, but her obstinacy kept her arms protectively crossed. "And then…"

"And then I never saw him again," Christie continued. "A couple of months later, I found out I was pregnant, and my friend, Allison, tried to call that Hyde guy, but he had moved, and he stopped showing up at the bar. It was weird. He just _disappeared_. I kept telling her to forget it. I didn't want to bother Kelso with it, you know? What were we going to do? Have some perfect, happy little family off of a drunken one-night stand?" Christie scoffed. "Right."

"So, why now?" Brooke asked. "Why all of a sudden are you contacting him?"

"I needed to talk to him. Didn't he tell you?"

"We haven't exactly talked since I found out."

Christie's eyes creased sorrowfully. "I am _so_ sorry. Look. Here's the thing…I 'm…I was diagnosed with Melanoma last year. It's a type of skin cancer. I don't have any real family. Both my parents are dead." The brunette rolled her eyes. "My aunt is a complete bitch. I mean, I have a sister but she's just…" Christie shook her head. "She's too screwed up to take on the responsibility of a child, and…" Her face twisted as she began to cry. "I…I can't expect my best friend to take him, you know. She can barely take care of herself, and my son is not her responsibility."

"Wait." Brooke leaned forward. "Are you saying you want Michael to take the baby?"

Christie nodded. "Well, yeah. I don't know what else to do. Six months ago, my doctor told me I have, maybe, six months to live."

Stunned at the ease at which this girl spoke of her own demise, Brooke looked around the bar, holding out her hands in question. "Wait…and you're working?"

"Well, what else am I going to do? Welfare doesn't pay shit." She noticed the look on Brooke's face and tried to explain. "Tomorrow's actually my last day. I'm on Chemo and sometimes I have to run to the bathroom to throw up. My boss doesn't want me around the customers anymore. I mean, I understand. He's got a business to run."

"But you look…"

"Oh, it's a wig," Christie explained with some humiliation, sliding a lock of it between her fingers. "And I didn't used to be _this_ thin. I had boobs once." She smiled sadly and gently smoothed the back of her hand down her face. "I was pretty."

Brooke shook her head. "You still are. I'm…I'm so sorry. I don't…" She sighed. "I have no idea what to say."

"It's okay." Christie smiled and scooted her chair closer to Brooke's. "Look. I'm not going to lie to you. My son… Justin… might not be Kelso's. He wasn't the only one I slept with."

Brooke frowned. "I don't understand."

"I slept with my ex right before we broke up, a few days before Kelso. But the jerk won't take a blood test. I was hoping Kelso would." Excitedly, she pulled out a picture of her son and handed it to Brooke, who quickly began to study the image of the doe-eyed toddler.

"He looks a little bit like him, but…" Brooke looked up. "He's got blue eyes, and Michael has brown."

"Yeah, my ex has blue eyes," Christie acknowledged. "But he also has blond hair. And my dad has blue eyes. So, it's still possible for him to be Kelso's. And Justin looks nothing like my ex." She shook her head. "Nothing."

Overwhelmed, Brooke covered her eyes. "I don't even know what to say right now. I have…"

"Look. I'm going to be honest, Brooke. I hope he's Kelso's. I followed you all once to the park, and watched you both with your kids. He's a good father, and he has a steady job. And you're a great mother." Finally, Christie let it all go and began to sob. "My ex-fiancé is a terrible person. I don't want my son to be raised by him. I've been praying every night that the test comes back saying that Kelso is the father. I'm just scared for my son if he's not." Her eyes turned desperate, pleading with this woman that she didn't know. "If he is Kelso's…" She swallowed hard. "Would you take him? Would you raise him as your own?" She scooted her chair in even closer to Brooke's. "Please? He's a sweet boy. He behaves, and he sleeps through the night."

Staggered by the request, Brooke's eyes froze wide, and she looked down numbly, gulping down the air in her dry throat. "I…" She looked up. "I…um…" Finally, she blinked. "Did Michael say he would take the test?"

Christie nodded and wiped her eyes. "Yes. But he said he wouldn't do it unless you agreed. I was actually going to visit you tomorrow. I thought for sure you'd kick my ass the second you saw me." Strangely, both women laughed, a brief smile shining through their tears. "But it would be worth it if you said yes. I don't think I have much time. It spread to my lungs and most of my organs." She looked around, her tears drying. "I'm so tired all the time. And I can't see all that well anymore. It sucks." Grabbing the librarian's hand, Christie looked into her eyes. "I'm really sorry to put all this on you. I know you don't know me, but if Brandon is Kelso's son, then I need him to take him. It's Justin's only chance for a good life…I'm sorry."

Brooke looked down and closed her eyes, trying so hard to put her feelings together. She hadn't expected to feel so forgiving. She hadn't expected to walk out of this place feeling sympathetic toward the woman. But it seemed that the universe had different plans, plans two years in the making. "Hey, um," she looked up, "I'm going to go get a drink. Do you want anything?"

Christie shook her head. "I can't. I have to get back to work."

"No, you _don't_ ," Brooke insisted, huffing. "I'll will give you whatever it was you were going to make tonight." Confidently, she stood up and gestured for the girl to stand. "You're done. You just quit. Let's go…"

* * *

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **11:58 PM**

Lying on his stomach, his cheek resting on crossed arms, Colin stared at his _sleeping_ fiancé. He missed her as if she wasn't less than two feet away. Her body was here, but her mind was elsewhere, and her heart seemed lost to him…

Aware that her back was being watched, Jackie swallowed down a sob. Her face was awash with tears, but she couldn't cry freely. She had to stifle what wanted to scream, the warm saline being all she could release. He would wonder why, on such a night, she was crying. It should have been a night for celebration, but, instead, here they lay, having gone to bed early, her back to him as she mourned a path she had not taken.

Jackie picked up the spare pillow from the floor below and hugged it tightly. Hyde was with her tonight; she could feel him wrapped all around her. She had never in her life wanted to hold him so much, never before wanted to literally crawl inside of him and hide away from the world. Never before had he represented such comfort and safety. The memories of him were shifting and becoming new. And he was rewriting it for them, bravely, as she sat idly by, too afraid, and too stuck in the past, to move...

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

 **Thursday**

 **November 22, 1984**

 **8:37 AM**

"Goodbye to you, too, Jackie."

Jackie spun around. "Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, baby." She walked over to the couch, ignoring the glower on Colin's face as she kissed his unresponsive lips. "I'm just thinking about some things I have to do at work today." She stared down at him, raising her eyebrows when she realized the scowl was not going to be leaving his face anytime soon. "What's the matter?"

Colin looked up. "You really have no fucking clue, do you?"

Jackie's shoulders fell. "No, I do." She plopped down beside him on the couch.

Colin pinched his lips together. "I'm going home today. I'm going to stay there for a while."

Jackie's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Because I can't sleep in the same damn bed with you anymore." She could hear the level of his anger in his voice. He was more pissed off than she had anticipated. "I don't know what the fuck's going on, Jackie, but I'm not going to sit here and put up with it anymore."

Jackie felt her heart jump painfully in her chest. "What are you talking about? What, because I won't have sex with you? You're going to leave?"

"Yes," Colin responded. "I was gone for three weeks. I get back and you won't let me kiss you, you won't let me hold you, you won't even let me fucking _touch_ you! You jump when I do." The hurt that escaped into his eyes struck her hard and he turned away and stood with a loud exhale. "I don't know what the hell's going on, but... Forget it."

"Colin," she called out. "I'm sorry, okay. It's not you."

"Just go to work, Jackie." She watched him walk into her room, presumably to get his stuff together, and covered her mouth to dam a sob. Her eyes caught the large glittering diamond that sat on her finger, and she was sure, she couldn't take much more. She would crumble into nothing before this was all over. And she would go to hell after that for what she was doing to the people she loved.

She had never in her life felt worthless, or felt so pulverized inside, and it was only Thursday. Jackie grabbed her purse, threw the ring inside and walked out, determined to give Colin peace by day's end…

* * *

 **One Hour Later**

 **The Forman/Pinciotti Residence**

"Why tonight?"

" _I'd canceled,"_ Brooke told Donna over the phone. _"I was lucky to get her tonight. Just call everybody for me. Tell them to come in regular clothes. 5:30 at the dinner hall."_

Donna smiled. "This is so cool. Eric's going to be so happy when I tell him. Did you tell Jackie yet?"

" _No, I've been looking for her. Colin said she was at work, but when I called, they said she hasn't come in yet."_

"Oh, boy." Donna rolled her eyes. "She's probably with Hyde." She shook her head and sat back on her couch. "Poor Colin. You know, it's only a matter of time before he finds out."

" _Hey, have you spoken with Jessica since Hyde broke up with her? Does she know?"_

"No. She's devastated, though, over losing him. But get this; she called me last night, all excited. She had been out on a date, right, with some guy her sister had set her up with, and guess who showed up to kick her date's ass."

On the other end of the line, Brooke gasped. _"You're kidding me!"_

"Nope. And he took her home and told her that it's a possibility they could get back together and _then_ they made out."

" _I knew it. He's not really going to leave her. And watch. Jackie's going to end up breaking up with Colin and getting her heart broken."_

Donna nodded. "Probably. But it's not like she's going to listen to us. Especially not me. I'm 'emotionally retarded," the red head mimicked, waving her hands and imitating her small friend. "And I don't know what it's like to date a real man."

Brooke laughed. _"She's so stubborn."_

"Yeah," Donna sighed. "I just wish she would be careful."

" _Me, too…"_

Jackie placed her palms against insulated steel and stared into its white, painted surface. There was freedom on the other side of these walls. Where warmth converged between her body and his, the past seemed to come alive and she felt like a child again—worry free and full of hope. There was no responsibility, no loyalties and, best of all, no guilt.

Frowning, and suddenly desperate to get inside, Jackie drew her hands back and slammed them hard against its surface. "Open the damn door!"

She heard movement on the other side and, a moment later, Kelso swung open the door. "Whaaaat!"

"Why didn't you answer the door?" Jackie asked angrily, pushing past him to get inside.

"I didn't hear a knock."

"Where's Steven?"

"In his room. I think he's in the shower." Kelso shut the door and followed her deeper into the living room. "Hey. Where's Brooke? Have you talked to her?"

Jackie turned around. "Not since yesterday."

"Well, when you do, tell her I love her. And that I'm miserable. And, and sorry. Oh, and tell her that I'm hungry. Hyde's rationing my cereal! He won't let me have any more of the good stuff. He told me I had to go shop for myself! And he made me clean the bathroom!" Kelso grabbed his ex's shoulders. "He's a slave-driver, Jackie! You have to tell her!"

"Michael. Michael. Alright." Jackie pushed him off of her. "Calm down. I'll try, but she's not listening to me. She's still angry. Okay, just give her time."

"Yeah, but…"

"I'll tell her everything you said, okay? I promise."

Kelso sighed. "Yeah, okay."

"So…" Glancing nosily around the apartment, Jackie began to wander and peek into different rooms. "Has Jessica been here?"

Kelso's face blanched, his expression freezing. "I don't wanna say."

Jackie snapped her head toward him. "What?"

"I don't want to say," he repeated, shaking his head and backing up before he was blocked by the couch.

"Oh, you _better_ say, Michael," she responded threateningly and took a few menacing strides toward her ex-boyfriend who towered over her by nearly a foot. "If you know what's good for you." Without much warning, she then found, pinched and twisted his nipple until his knees buckled.

"Ow! Ow! Fine! We went to a nightclub last night, because she came here and got naked!"

"What!" Jackie's eyes widened. "What do you mean 'naked?"

"Well, she changed clothes in front of him, and told him that she was going on a date, so Hyde got jealous, and we followed her."

"Oh, really," she pinched his other nipple. "Go on!"

"Ow!" he screeched angrily. "Stop doing that!" Smartly, he cupped his now sore nipples. "And then he punched Jess's date and we took her home."

"And?" Jackie waited it out briefly, but she knew Kelso like a book, and he wasn't done spilling. She slapped the center of his chest. "Michael!"

"Alright! He went inside with her," he added with a growl. "But he came out a few minutes later, and we came right home. And that's the last we've seen of her." He lowered his hands but re-positioned them again quickly. "Oh, but she did call last night."

Jackie folded her arms. "And?"

"He talked to her for a little while."

"Michael, are they back together?"

"No. No. He's still waiting for you, I think."

Jackie sat down on the couch and tried to soothe her herself with rational explanations. But still, she was seething with jealousy, from deep in her chest, and pinched the muscles between her eyes to try and block an oncoming headache. "Okay. Alright." She stood up again. "I need to talk to Steven."

Not knowing what to expect from this morning's venture, Jackie ambled slowly down the dark hallway toward his bedroom. Her steps were so slow that she could feel each fiber of the carpet crush beneath the soles of her boots, a thin strip of gray daylight below his door her only guide. When she reached the closed door, she rested her hands flat against it and leaned in to listen, but was unable to hear the hiss of a running shower.

"Steven," she called softly and rapped her fingers a few times just above the knob.

"Man, I'll be ready in a minute!"

Confused, Jackie pushed open the door and peeked inside, grateful to find him lying face up on his bed, wrapped at the waist in a towel, his feet still on the floor, palms covering his eyes, but more importantly, alone. "Steven."

Hyde uncovered his eyes. "Oh, hey." He sat up. "What's up?"

Jackie breathed a short sigh of relief as she stepped inside. Some part of her, somewhere deep inside, had been terrified that he would have company. And she wasn't even sure why she would think it, only because Michael would have told her, not because it wasn't past Hyde to do it. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" Hyde stood up and headed for his dresser, pulling out a few items from his top drawer. With the items in hand, he turned. "Shouldn't you be with your boyfriend or something?" Jackie walked over to where he stood. "I'm sure he's worried sick, wondering where his girlfriend is."

Indignant, Jackie tilted her head and exhaled. "Steven, cut it out. I needed to see you."

Something, maybe it was the mischievous sprite inside her, forced her gaze from his eyes down to his bare chest. He smelled clean and, curious, she made her hands rise to meet the light dusting of hair above his sternum. He was dry. With a glowing smile, she let her fingers lightly trickle down to his bare stomach, watching the muscles tense at her touch, and slide around the side to the taut flesh of his back. "I missed you." She looked back up, instantly caught off guard by his eyes; they were drowsy now and focused her lips. "And we need to talk about something."

His gaze rose slightly to meet her eyes and Jackie suddenly felt like the naked one, exposed and vulnerable like open prey. In an instant, adrenaline struck her heart, causing it to thump heavily in her chest as the corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile. "Yeah?" His mouth closed in on her hers.

Jackie closed her eyes when he gently made contact. His lips were so unbelievably soft, and, when he parted them, an incredible warmth overwhelmed her. It never did take much to become distracted by the sensual manner in which he'd always kissed her, so slow and deep. It was what had gotten her in this mess in the first place. His kiss.

"Steven," was all she managed in her next breath. His kisses were hypnotically sluggish today, and deliberate, but given with such force behind every movement that she felt a sudden urge to lie down. Around to her back, his hands moved with purpose, one rising up into her hair before taking a fistful. He spun her long locks, wrapping them around his hand, and yanked her head back, causing her to cry out softly.

"Oh, God." Her eyelids clenching, Jackie felt a tender kiss land just to the left of her exposed mouth and tried to turn her head to catch it, but failed.

"What did you want to talk about?" His breath tickled her skin; and she felt another sultry kiss fall on her jaw.

Jackie frowned. "Um…" Another gulp of air, and she felt several more kisses wet the long muscle of her neck, discovering that the way her hair was coiled tightly around his fist, and the way he pulled and twisted on it, was giving her more pleasure than even the kisses and licks that were traveling down her throat. "I don't…" Jackie raised her eyebrows and swallowed. "God." A euphoric smile washed cleanly over her skin. The young girl took over, the girl who enjoyed the way this boy fit against her body, the way his mouth warmed and moistened her flesh with such potency. It triggered her evocative high.

With a playful bite on her bottom lip, Jackie tugged lightly at his towel and brought her head back down, realizing that his hold on her hair was never really that tight. She'd only wanted it to be.

Hyde grinned back amiably and made their lips meet again in a carefree kiss. This time, Jackie threw her arms around his neck, giggling when he lifted her body and pulled her legs around his waist. Giving in to the morning's only enjoyment, she continued to kiss him wildly as he walked over, locked the bedroom door and made both of their bodies fall to his bed.

From her back, Jackie slid her hands down to his stubbly cheeks and admired his features. "I missed you." He kissed her again, groaning the moment her legs secured his hips to hers and squeezed.

Hyde pulled back and shifted all his weight to his left arm, using his right to try and work through the buttons of her shirt. But they were too small for his fingertips. "Take all this crap off," he told her, moving his hands down her side appreciatively.

Jackie started to, but stopped. "No. Wait. We need to stop." She placed her hand on his lips as he bent down. "We can't get distracted, Steven. We _really_ need to talk."

Sighing, Hyde rolled to his side and sat up. "Jackie." She popped up onto her elbows, nervous at the tone with which he used her name. "Did you come in here to tell me that you broke up with him?"

"Um…No." Jackie winced.

Lips pursed, Hyde stood up. "Then there's nothing to talk about."

Jackie sat up. "Oh, trust me, Steven. There is."

"No," he insisted, dropping his towel and pulling more clothes from his closet. "There isn't, Jackie."

"Steven." She inhaled noisily as he began to dress. "It's more complicated now."

Scoffing, Hyde pulled a t-shirt down over his thermal. "No, it's not." Once finished dressing, he grabbed his sunglasses off his dresser, making Jackie frown, and slipped them on. "I have to go."

"Wait a second," Jackie shot up to her feet, scowling; the recent news of Jessica still swirling around in her head. "Where are you going?"

"Out."

Her jaw stiff, Jackie took a portentous step forward. "And what's _out?_ "

"It's the opposite of _in_ , Jackie."

"Don't you be a smart ass, Steven," she warned him, having had enough of his game, but he seemed unfazed. "And don't give me any of your 'Zen' crap either. What have you been doing with Jessica? Michael told me about your little jealous trip to the nightclub."

Hyde grinned as his eyebrow rose above the rim of his aviators. "Yeah, that was fun."

"Steven…"

"You know," Hyde puffed out his chest and drew his arms back to stretch. "It's actually none of your business where I'm going _or_ where I went last night, Jackie." He smacked his lips together. "If you were my girlfriend, I guess I'd have to tell you. Actually, if you were my girlfriend, I wouldn't have gone. But you're not, are you?" Hyde opened the door. "So, I'll talk to you later."

Jackie felt the muscles in her face begin to give and shake. "That's not fair, Steven."

"None of this is fair."

Feeling like she might burst into tears at any moment, Jackie watched him walk out his bedroom door. Quickly, though, she forced those tears around and brewed them into anger just as Hyde peeked back in.

"You coming or not?"

Jackie glared. "You have ten seconds, Steven, to make up for what you just said or else I'm going home… _very_ pissed off!"

Hyde walked back into the room, stopping inches from her face. "Is that a threat, Jackie?"

"Nope," she replied disdainfully. "It's a fact."

Hyde remained unruffled, though; offering only a small, irreverent glare. "You fucked him, didn't you?"

"God," Jackie scoffed. "Is that _all_ you care about, Steven?" Feeding off his minimal reaction, Jackie rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't! Alright! I didn't have sex with him. You happy now?"

"Yes." Hyde blinked. "And I'm just going out with Kelso."

"And what about Jessica?"

"That's still none of your business."

Feeling her heart throttle her chest for the second time this morning, Jackie nodded slowly and fought back tears. "Is that so."

Hyde took her face between his hands, kissing her lips softly. "I love you, and I'll sever all ties with her when you sever all ties with him. I promise. Until then…" He raised his hands, shrugging apologetically, and walked out.

* * *

 **Parking Lot of the**

 **Westinghouse Family Planning Clinic**

 **One Hour Later**

Hyde closed his eyes and dropped his head back. The inside of the El Camino smelled like her today. But it was him. Her scent was all over his skin, everything that made him feel good and warm inside. It was frustrating, thinking about her this way. But he was sick over her again.

The problem was she knew how to leave her mark.

And they were all over him now.

Hyde sneered and squinted down at his dashboard. This was pissing him off. Letting himself get hung up over Jackie again was probably the dumbest thing he'd ever done. She was out of her mind, and had no idea what she wanted. He was in too deep, though, to turn around. He saw their future and wanted it, wanted every little bit of it, the good and the bad.

Suddenly, Hyde felt something sharp poke his upper arm. "Hey, what do you think of this song?" Kelso stuck the pen back in his mouth and frowned at his notepad. _"I've been waiting for a girl like Brooke to come into my life…"_

"No. No," Hyde waved him off, grimacing. "No more songs, Kelso."

"Why not?"

"Man." Hyde looked over. "Has it ever worked?"

After thinking about it, Kelso whipped his pen at the glove compartment. "Damn it, Hyde. Why do you always gotta do that?!"

"What, tell you the truth? State facts?"

"Yes!" Kelso replied irately. "What the hell am I supposed to do now? She won't answer my calls. I haven't seen my kids. I miss her, man, and in case you haven't noticed, you're a _sucky_ roommate. You're cranky, like, all the time now." Kelso folded his arms and raised his eyebrows with little apology. "And I just don't know how much more of you I can take."

"Me? You're the one who…" Hyde stopped and sighed. "Man. Whatever. So, I'm cranky. So, what?"

Kelso watched his friend suspiciously. "Well, thank you for admitting that. I think that's a big step for you." Hyde rolled his eyes, startled when Kelso grabbed his arm and pointed rightward. "Hey! Look! Is that…Is that Brooke?"

As Hyde's jaw fell practically into his lap, not at Brooke, but at who she was with. "Holy shit. Is that…"

Immediately, Kelso began to panic. "I'm dead! I'm fucking dead, Hyde!"

"No! I'm the one who's dead," Hyde insisted, popping his car door open in a bigger and more frenzied panic. "I'm out of here, man! You're on your own!"

"Hyde," Kelso shouted, grabbing his friend by the shirt. "Don't you leave me, man!"

Hyde tried to wriggle free. "It's every man for himself, Kelso!"

"You owe me!" Kelso screeched. "You owe Brooke!"

Hyde stopped and took a big breath. "Damn it, fine," he grumbled and straightened his shirt. "But this is crap that you're dragging me into this. That chick's probably going to smack me."

"Why?"

"Because, Kelso! They don't like getting ditched after you nail 'em, you moron!" Hyde shook his head. "I totally blew her off and, look at her, she's still pissed." But then he grinned suddenly and looked over at Kelso. "Let's just hope it's at you."

"Thanks a lot, Hyde," Kelso muttered as Hyde nodded, happy to oblige. "Let's just go."

With little enthusiasm, they both exited the car, and it wasn't long before the women noticed both of them walking in their direction with figurative tails tucked between their legs. On either side of Brooke stood Christie and Allison, both men's dates from that night two years before. Thankful for the forethought to wear his shades, Hyde tried all he might not to look at the cross blonde while Kelso kept his eyes on the mother of his children.

Kelso was amazed. She looked so beautiful, wrapped in her red wool coat underneath the shade of her umbrella. "Baby," he uttered. "I tried to call you to tell you but…"

"We need to talk." Brooke turned around and Kelso followed, leaving Hyde with an uncomfortable smirk and the girl he used to flirt with on occasion at his favorite bar. Of course, until he screwed her and then never went back.

The blonde folded her arms and raised her eyebrows at him.

"So…" Hyde started, rocking his head. "How's it goin', Al?"

"Don't talk to me."

"Alright."

Approaching the red brick of the clinic's facade, Brooke turned around. "Michael…"

"I miss you so much." He couldn't stop the words spilling from his mouth. His eyes traced every curve of her face, especially her lips. He wanted to kiss her so badly, to hold her, to snuggle and laugh and tell her how beautiful she looked. "I miss you. I miss the kids. How are they?"

"They miss you," she replied quietly. "Especially B. He keeps asking me why you can't just come home to watch Kermie with him."

Kelso's head fell; he felt like was going to cry, and being this close to her—the keeper of his heart—it didn't take long for the feigned wall of strength that he had been projecting to finally begin tumbling down. His face twisted painfully, showing all the hurt he had been bottling. "I want to come home. Please, baby. I'm so sorry." Tentatively, he reached out for her hips. "Please just _try_ to forgive me. I need you. I…I'm a mess without you."

Brooke watched his hands move toward her and land on her hips. She made the quick decision not to push him away, to hear him out as he stepped closer.

"I love you so much, I…I feel sick, Brooke."

She took in a deep breath and brought her hands to rest on his upper arms. "Michael," she swallowed, "I need to ask you something, and you have to be completely honest with me. I told you a long time ago that I can deal with a lot of things, but not lying."

"I know."

"How many times have you cheated on me?"

Kelso shook his head. "Baby, just that once. I swear to God. I don't even remember it. I was…" He gripped her hips tightly. "Look, okay, I've been with chicks since Betsy was born. I told you that. But not…"

"I mean after we moved in together and decided to try being a family."

Kelso shook his head adamantly this time. "No." He smiled suddenly and exhaled, grateful to finally know that all of his secrets were out. "No. Brookie, not once. Just her," he pointed behind himself shamefully. "But that was it." Brooke only stared at him, her eyes shifting between his as he stepped in all the way up against her. "Did she tell you?"

Brooke nodded. It was quiet for a moment as the rain poured down, soaking Hyde a few yards away. But they were dry as they stood there, staring at each other. "I want you to take this test," she eventually said. "And if he's yours, we're going to take him."

Kelso's eyes widened, his mouth opened, and a moment later, he inhaled deeply, indicating to her that he had not been breathing. "You'll take me back?"

"Don't make me out to be a fool, Michael."

Kelso shook his head and touched his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. "No. Baby," he laughed in utter relief. "You're not a fool. I am," he whispered against her mouth. " _You're_ an angel. My angel..."

* * *

 **The Lakeside-South Marriot**

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **5:47 PM**

It had been a blustery day, glove and coat worthy to be sure. The Wisconsin sun abandoned the sky early, and ahead of Jackie, an ivory brick path snaked through shades of its vanishing light. Lining each side of it was a row of faint runway lamps and a lavish wall of evergreens, still covered in bright green leaves.

She looked up, for just the briefest of moments, to see the way the sun brightened and painted their tips with shades of yellow and orange, bringing fall to them for just a little while. But when she looked back down, Colin was already yards ahead of her.

"Colin."

He turned around with the same expression he had been wearing since the night before, and his irritation was only mounting, leaving two crabby men that she would have to deal with tonight.

Jackie walked up to him, not at all surprised when he ignored her outstretched hand. "Are you going to be like this all night? 'Cause I have things I have to do tonight, Colin."

He frowned in bewilderment. "What did I say?"

"You didn't say anything," she explained, "But I see the look on your face."

"I don't have a look," he said.

Jackie put her hands up on her hips. "Oh, there's a look!" At that, Colin's jaw jutted forward, showing his aggravation. "See! There it is again!" she pointed.

"I should have stayed home," he muttered to the empty earth behind her.

"Well you couldn't," Jackie reminded him as she adjusted his shirt and smoothed her hand down the middle. "You're an usher. You need to know what to do."

"I know what to do, Jackie. I'm not an idiot," he argued in vain and pushed her fussing hands away. "And why can't I just be a guest like everyone else?"

"Because Brooke asked you to be an usher!" Jackie placed her fingers between her eyes, pinching away the headache she'd had had all week, wishing he would just stop being so angry with her. It was only discouraging her from what she had to do tonight. "Just, please, get in a better mood, okay? I _know_ that you're mad at me." Colin simply placed his annoyed eyes back on her. "See, you're not even denying it."

"Nope."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Ugh!" She grabbed his hand and turned on her heel, determined to drag him inside if she had to. "Let's just get this over with…"

When Colin shoved open the double doors to the ballroom, causing an enormous ruckus, Jackie felt her anxiety rise to an almost unbearable level. She cringed at the view, her cheeks flushing and burning hot. Centered in her line of sight was Hyde, seated on a tabletop with his elbows on his knees, surrounded by the entire gang. All eyes fell on her, but his blue ones were all that seemed alive tonight. There was an energy there that sparked like electricity, and she realized instantly that Colin's scowl was nothing compared to the one washing over Hyde's face right now, and that the thoughts behind it were far more worrisome.

"You coming?" she heard Colin's voice ring out, not realizing how frozen she was until he tugged her forward by her hand.

"Where've you been? You're late," Brooke scolded, standing up. "Come on, give me your coat."

Jackie slipped off her coat and handed it over. "Sorry. It just took us a…" She glanced nervously at Hyde, who was still staring at her hotly. "…a while to get ready."

At his back, Hyde felt a nudge and turned his head to find Eric's concerned face. "You alright?"

Hyde grimaced. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Eric put his hands up in submission. "I'm just checking."

"Hey." Kelso stuck his head into the conversation. "Are you going to be cool, man? I don't need any trouble right now with Brooke. "

"Will you two shut up," Hyde grumbled through pinched teeth. "I'm fine." But he knew he wasn't. He was extraordinarily fucking pissed off, so pissed that he could feel the air sear as it entered his heavy lungs. He looked everywhere else but at her; knowing if he looked at her, or him, or them together, he would blow like a goddamn volcano.

"Look, Hyde," Eric leaned into his ear. "Maybe it's better if you just talk to her another time. Just leave it for tonight."

Hyde frowned back at his oldest friends, wondering why in the hell they were stressing out like two nervous women. He nearly said something but his hand was suddenly confiscated by Brooke and his body pulled off the table.

"Okay, Hyde. I need you to…" Brooke looked around in a huff for the wedding coordinator. "Where's Diane?"

"I'm right here," a small older woman shouted out, running over as she waved a white piece of paper. She stopped in front of Brooke and pointed at Hyde. "Which one is he?"

"The 'Best Man."

"Okay…Groom! Groom!" Diane yelled out. "Where's the groom?"

All the girls looked behind Hyde's grimacing face to find Eric with the groom in a headlock while Fez quietly shoved a handful of malt balls into his mouth. All three men froze as the women in the room scowled disapprovingly at them. Only Colin laughed, wishing he was on that side instead of stuck with all the chicks.

He let go of Jackie's hand and headed in that direction.

"Wait, Colin. Where are you going?"

"Over here."

Jackie tapped her foot lightly. "Colin." When he looked back, she gave a feigned smile that told him he had better listen. "Come stand with me."

"No," he responded, instead continuing on and sitting down beside his candy-loaded counterpart. He held out his hand and, happily, Fez poured some malt balls in.

"Colin," Jackie called out sternly, turning angry as he stared at her defiantly and popped a candy in his mouth. "Ugh." She turned around to face Donna. "They're all the same."

The red head laughed. "It's 'cause you try too much to control them. We've been over this."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Well, what else is there to do with them, Donna?"

"Alright, I need the groom to stand right here. Come on," Diane directed, now standing near a small stage. "And…you, black shirt…" she pointed. Hyde realized she was talking to him and moseyed over. "You're going to stand here to his left, and let me see, you in the green sweatshirt…" Eric walked over. "You're next to him. And then you, with the candy, come on, you're next to him."

Colin stayed on the table as all four men sat down on the stage in various positions of indolence. Hyde fell to his back and covered his eyes with his palms. "How long is this going to take, man?"

Kelso shrugged, suddenly becoming excited. "Oh! Hey. You guys want to have a thumb war?"

Eric nodded. "I'm in."

"Eh, I hate thumb wars," Fez grumbled and scooted in. "I always lose. My thumbs are lovers, not fighters."

Hyde sat up and presented his thumb. "I'm in." Hearing Fez's groan, he smacked him lightly in the head. "You, too!"

"Ai…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

"Alright, hang on," Kelso growled and pressed his necktie to his forehead, tying it into a knot around his head. He looked up and cracked his neck. "Let's do this."

Rolling his eyes, Hyde held out his thumb and eyed his friend.

Already disqualified, Eric held two hands over the dueling thumbs and looked from left to right. "This is to qualify for the championship. No double fingers. No nailies. No pushies, and no spitting… Kelso!" Eric glared over.

"What! I had a cramp!"

"In your mouth?" Hyde asked angrily, remembering the flying loogy coming straight for him.

"I have a condition!"

"Alright, whatever," Eric interrupted and nodded, quickly tossing up his hands. "And…go!"

Instantly, Hyde and Kelso began to thumb wrestle.

"You're going down, Hyde!"

"I'm going to kick your ass, Kelso!"

"No, I'm going to kick your…" Hyde's thumb pinned down Kelso's and Hyde began to laugh gloatingly. Kelso slammed the ground at his sides. "Damn! He cheated!"

Hyde sat back and grinned. "Can't prove it."

"Damn!"

As Kelso scooted away and sulked, Hyde looked over at Colin. "I guess it's just you and me then."

With a slight grin, Colin sat down in front of Hyde. The two eyed each other, silent as Eric laid down the rules. "This, my friends, is for the championship, all the glory, the bragging rights and the rest of Fez's malt balls…"

Still pissed off, Fez folded his arms. "Damn!"

"Best two out of three. No double fingers, no nailies, no pushies and no spitting. And…" Eric looked over at the girls. "Yeah, we've gotta hurry 'cause they're giving us that look again."

Colin situated himself better and stretched his arms and back as Kelso rubbed his shoulders to urge him on. "He's weak in the second bendy part of his thumb. Hit him low…"

Fez patted Hyde's hair. "You're going to give me my malt balls back, right?"

"Yep."

The foreigner's eyes narrowed. "Tear that foreign bastard to shreds."

Colin and Hyde joined palms and raised their thumbs as Eric brought his hands down over the match.

"Now remember…"

Hyde could sense that his friend was speaking, setting the rules one final time and giving directions, but, as he stared his opponent down, all sound faded away, allowing twisted thoughts to begin to warp his overactive mind. It was fraught now with images of facts that he knew to be true, sounds that he knew she made in the heat of the moment, and everything that filled the void in between. This guy had touched her in all the same sensitive places he had—and recently. Laid his lips there, too. Colin had screwed her more times than Hyde wanted to let himself believe, and it sickened him to think about. But, he tortured himself regardless, envisioning it clearly, considering every position, every thrust and cry, with budding rage.

His adrenaline flowing, Hyde turned his head toward where Jackie stood watching him, her eyes glistening with concern. It was cruel how beautiful she looked tonight. He wondered briefly if she had done it to mess with him. When he blinked, though, she'd turned and walked off, disappearing down a hallway. He returned his attention to the game, wondering if Colin still did those things to her, if the hand against his had touched her today, somewhere that Hyde now considered to be his, somewhere that made her moan and close her eyes. Hyde shut his own. The room was spinning.

"This is for all the malt balls, and…Go!"

Inside a small food preparation hall, Brooke grabbed Jackie's hand. "I need to talk to you. Come here." Her longer strides forced Jackie to jog along behind her friend.

"What's going on?" she asked as Brooke turned around. "Is everything alright?"

"Jessica called Donna last night…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

"Black shirt!"

Hyde looked up.

"Cuff your arm, darling, so she can slip her arm inside."

"Oh…yeah." He looked to his right at Jackie and hooked arms with her. They would be the last to walk before the bride and groom. They would go down an isle together, just like she's already wanted.

"We need to talk," Jackie whispered as they walked in step.

"In sync, young people," the wedding coordinator yelled.

Hyde held his indifferent expression. "What for?"

"I'm going to say I need to go to my car for something. You know that path that leads down to the water?"

"No."

"When you first come in, that left with the sign about the dock."

"Yeah."

"Meet me right there. But wait a few minutes after I leave," she said and pulled away from him as they reached their destination. She instantly walked back over toward Colin, who sat alone, nearly asleep at one of the tables.

When Hyde turned in the opposite direction, he ran straight into Kelso.

"Don't mess this up for me, Hyde," Kelso said. "I'm serious, man."

"I'm not. Will you chill out?" Hyde sat down in a huff, about ready to ditch the whole scene. He needed a joint. A drink, something…

* * *

Fourteen Minutes Later

It was a foolish risk to take, she knew, but her mind was growing desperate and the night was beginning to spin threateningly around her. Every blurred glance felt like slow motion and every one of Colin's whispers felt like a betrayal. They stuck to her like glue, along with the sullen ache in Hyde's blue eyes.

Her heels continued to click across the brick path, the rustling trees shielding her from the main building while the growing darkness encumbered her forward movement. She knew he was behind her somewhere; she could feel his energy closing in on her. But she would not stop. The further they got from that unforgiving crowd and the closer they came to the riverfront, the more he would open up and give in to her. That was what she told herself as she searched for moonlit waves between the trees, the dock, anything. Alone, they were free, and in the dark, it was all so easy, so perfect.

The only trouble was, Jackie was noticing as she walked, there was no moon tonight. It was hidden far above a slew of black storm clouds.

Finding herself no longer on brick, but in dirt, and now completely enveloped by trees, she stopped and looked around. "Damn it." She was lost and couldn't see what surrounded her anymore. It was the second right turn past the gazebo, then straight down to the water. Or was it the first turn? Where was that sign? "Ugh!"

"Jackie?"

She turned her head toward the sound of his voice. "Steven?"

"Yeah. Where are you? I can't see anything."

"I'm here," she practically pleaded. "Steven." Desperate to find him, she back-tracked slowly toward his voice, her arms held out as her eyes strained to achieve enough night vision to see him. "Steven. I can't see you."

"I'm right here. Keep walking."

As she walked blindly, Jackie smiled. He was getting closer, moving toward her, too. "I've been thinking about you," she told the darkness.

"Yeah?"

He was so close.

"Yes," Jackie responded earnestly just as the tips of her fingers reached his stomach. "Oh, thank God." Frantically, she brought them to his face and threw her body at his, crashing into him.

Since her very first kiss, a dare in a friend's closet, it struck Jackie fascinating the way one could find another's lips in the dark and, tonight, she found Hyde's with ease and drove her tongue far into his mouth, desperate to show him just how much he had been missed. Her knees buckled on contact, her chest aching as his mouth reciprocated the same message, caressing hers with twice her zeal.

It felt so delightful to be loved, and missed, and wanted, but more so by him; his love felt earth shattering, special somehow, earned.

"God," she gasped within a breath. "Let's go away, Steven." As she raised her lips to the sky to speak, she felt his mouth drink in her skin, from her chin down to sensitive base of her throat. He was as parched for her as she was him. She could feel it in the muscles in his hands and arms, the way they touched her and held her "Just you and me. Please, Steven."

He grabbed her face and kissed her deeply again, shutting her up momentarily.

But she would not relent. "I'm serious. Let's go."

Hyde smiled drunkenly and tried to kiss her again. "Where do you want to go?"

Jackie backed her head away. "Anywhere. Let's..." She swallowed, trying to will her fear of rejection away. She stared at the darkened outline of his lips and kissed them. It was when these ideas, and these pleas, came to her that he recoiled. It was always when he turned to ice, when up against her fire.

"What, Jackie?" Hyde asked, his eyes finally adapting to the dark, his memory returning. "What's going on? Why haven't you broken up with him yet?"

"Because I can't."

"What the hell do you mean _you can't_? Yes, you can."

Sighing, Jackie grabbed his hand and directed his finger to trace over the delicate stone that Colin had placed on hers. "Do you feel this." He gripped her hand tight, and she watched him stare at the immeasurable gift, unable to get a clear impression of the look on his face. It appeared as still as that stone, though.

Hyde dropped her hand and looked back up to her jittering eyes, not saying a word, and not asking a single question. His head assured him that he wouldn't like the answer.

"He asked me to marry him, Steven."

"Yeah, I can see that." Hyde forced in some air through his nose and let his eyes lose their focus, controlling his anger as a chill ran up his spine and hit the base of his skull. "Why's it on your finger, Jackie?"

She looked down as her right hand toyed with the object in question. "I didn't say 'yes' if that's what you're wondering." Gingerly, she looked up. "I told him I had to think about it."

Hyde shook his head and moved to turn around.

"No." Jackie stopped him and forced his stiffened body back toward her. Her hands quickly secured a tight grip on his belt to try and keep him in place. He was known to flee, the stubborn shit. He was famous for it. "Listen to me. I didn't bring you out here to tell you that." Anxious for him to look at her, she shook his waist violently. "Look at me! This is important!"

Hyde drew in a deep breath, calming himself. "What?"

"Marry me."

He grimaced. "What?"

"Marry me, Steven." With wide, anxious eyes, Jackie pulled him closer. "We can go to… well, not Vegas but, I don't know, Atlantic City, or Niagara Falls, or someplace, and get married." She nodded, half-excited, half-afraid, but completely serious. "Tonight, Steven. We can go tonight. I'll break up with him. I'll tell him everything. I'll tell him I'm still in love with you." Raising her chin, she touched her lips to his and kissed him. "We could get a honeymoon suite and make love all day. It won't be raining there, Steven. And you saw Superman; they have fireplaces in the hotel rooms in Niagara…"

"Jackie, you were supposed to break up with him five days ago. And now you're…" He yanked her hands from his belt and stepped away for a second to pace and soak in what she was saying. "Let me get this straight. He asked you to marry him and you didn't say 'no."

Jackie winced. "Right."

"And now you want to marry _me_?"

"Exactly," she smiled nervously and stepped closer. "Steven, listen to me. You were right. We were too young before. And it was wrong of me to keep pushing you. But we're older now, and if you marry me, I'll know that you're serious."

Hyde huffed into the darkness. "Christ, Jackie. I broke up with my girlfriend for you. I gave up everything. I told you I love you. What do you want from me?"

"I want _more_ ," she said. With more tenacity than before, she grabbed him by the belt again and yanked him toward her. "He wants to commit to me. He wants kids and a house and a life with me, Steven! And I'm willing to say 'no' to all of it. For you. But I need to know that you're willing to offer me the same things!" Lowering her voice, Jackie slid her arms around his waist and hugged him into place. "I'm not going to lie to you, Steven. I love him. He means the world to me. And if this had never happened between you and me, I would have said yes to him, in a heartbeat. But…"

Hyde furrowed his eyebrows deeply. "That's all you care about, isn't it?"

"What?"

He took a close look at her, feeling as though he was in a time warp. It was her same mantra: marriage, kids, a house, the life. She hadn't changed a fucking day in the last five years. "Who's willing to marry you," he clarified evenly. Fraught with offense, Jackie let go of him and dropped her arms to her sides. "It's not about me _or_ him; is it? You don't give a crap about either one of us. It's whoever's going to give you that damn ring, the expensive house."

"That's not it, Steven."

"What did it cost him, Jackie?" He grabbed her hand. "Five thousand? Ten?"

Worried she might cry if he continued, Jackie yanked her hand away and stepped back. "It cost him everything he had!" she spat.

"Yeah, I'll bet. Being with you usually does." Shaking his head, Hyde straightened his back and raised his face to the sky as a cool mist of rain began to fall. "Well, I don't have the money for a ring like that, so I guess I lose, right?"

"No," Jackie answered ardently. "I don't _want_ a ring from you, Steven. That's not what I was saying. And stop being a jerk. You promised. I just want to know that this is it. That's all I ever wanted from you, Steven. That's all I ever freakin' meant! Every time I brought up marriage, I just wanted to know that you wanted me." She smacked his chest hard. "That I was _important_ to you! You would never tell me you loved me." She shook her head. "You acted like you were just biding time with me until someone better came along, and then when someone did, you toss me aside like trash, like I meant nothing, and I should have known, because you told me enough times how you really felt."

Hyde wheeled around, indignant at the way she viewed things. She had no idea. Then turned back to face her. "So, what, if I don't run off with you to…" He flipped his hand up. "Atlantic fucking City, or wherever, then you're going to go marry _him_ instead?"

Jackie's face fell flat. "Yes."

Hyde's contemptuous smile fell, too, his expression instantly turning bitter. "Is that so."

"That's so," Jackie answered, still stone-faced, only her eyes relaying the rest of the message.

Hyde began to rock from the waist up, and he remembered why he'd been so angry all those years before. She had broken his heart, and she was doing it again. "Then do what you've gotta do, baby," he said, trying to keep it from shaking. "Have a nice life." He moved to turn around again, but was stopped, this time by her tearful gasp.

"But I want _you_."

"No, you don't." Hyde turned back around. "None of this has anything to do with _me_ , Jackie. You want someone to marry. And that's it."

She shook her head with absolution. "No… I just don't want to wake up in three years and find you with someone else, because we had a fight or you got bored because all of this was just some temporary feeling." Jackie took a breath. "I can't let you hurt me again." Her shoulders sunk as she exhaled and watched him. His face was scrunched into a scowl as if she had just proposed the most ridiculous question he had ever heard. "Why are you looking at me like I'm crazy, Steven? I don't get it. You say you love me but you won't marry me, but you'll marry a stranger."

"God," Hyde huffed exasperatingly. "Is this about Sam again?"

"Yes."

"God damn it, Jackie," he cursed quietly. "She was a mistake. How many times do I have to say it? It was an accident. I don't even remember doing it."

"Well, I remember. And then you stayed with her. Sober," she reminded him, fighting like hell to stand strong in her convictions. "Because marriage is important to you, you said. _So_ important that you wouldn't waste it on me."

"No." Hyde stepped forward. "I didn't want to jump into marriage _because_ it was important to me. We weren't _ready_ , Jackie. But you know what I realized? Marriage sucks. My parents were married, and it made them hate each other. Look at your parents. Your mother was partying in Mexico while your dad sat in jail. Marriage is crap!"

"It's not crap, Steven," Jackie shot back pleadingly. "It can be beautiful with the right person. Look at the Formans."

Hyde scoffed disdainfully. "We're not the Formans, Jackie."

Maybe it was the way he had said it or the possible truths behind his words, but something in what he said made her cry, and she frantically worked to salvage her face. "Fine." As she carefully swept her fingers beneath her dampening eyes, Jackie looked around them and took a few tentative steps backwards, finally noticing that a wall lined this section of the brick path. There was no other way out of here, except past him. And at this moment, trapped in this spot, Kevin's words were beginning to haunt her.

Jackie closed her eyes, squeezing the first teardrop free. _It feels incredible_ , he had warned her, _but the feeling fades_. And then what's left? Lies and anger, mistrust and resentment and fear, and a past that she was realizing had not, in fact, been left behind. It had only been trampled over and forgotten for a while, leaving denial to reign.

She had to think about herself now, her own future, while she was still fresh from the feeling, having had only dipped her toe in the possibility of him. It had taken time, long ago, to wriggle free of his grip, but she had done it. She had experienced the pain with grace and lived through it. And this, too, would pass. It would have to.

Opening her eyes, Jackie drew in an exhaustive breath, forcing in a little courage. "I can't do this again. I'm sorry." A belief in fate made her rise on her toes and lean forward to kiss his bristly cheek. "Bye, Puddin'."

Quickly, she tried to step around him, but was stopped when he caught her hand. "Jackie." When she looked up, his expression had changed, his eyes hinting now at desperation, but his willfulness prevailed through stubborn lips. "I'm not saying it would never happen, okay. I'm just not going to be threatened into marriage."

Subtly, she nodded, understanding. "I know, baby," she said. "You do what you have to do, and I'll do what I have to."

His face fell with the realization that she was serious. "So, what, that's it then?"

"Are you going to marry me, Steven?"

Hyde swallowed. "No."

Jackie shrugged ruefully. "Then that's it," she said, wondering what had come over her to believe that he ever would. It had all happened so fast, like these fall storms that had blown in from nowhere. A solid home could not stand on such a weak foundation, through good times and bad, in sickness and in health. In those moments when he teetered on the edge, when she was not there to pull him back, she needed to know that he would endure the storm.

Silently, Jackie watched his expression subtly move from anger to hurt. He let go of her hand.

Jackie did not move, though. She didn't want to leave. They were supposed to be driving to freedom right now, watching it all disappear in the rearview mirror with her head on his shoulder in the dark radio-lit cabin of the El Camino. He was supposed to be smiling, pleading with her to stop kissing him, saying that he couldn't see the road. She had wished for it all day. She had been willing to give him her life tonight, her future. But he had to want it. It was always in the grand gestures that he failed. Somewhere just before the event horizon, he always stalled, stubborn and afraid, and backed away.

"I love you, Steven," she said and began to walk as fast as her Gucci's would carry her. Maybe she was being selfish, and maybe she was being demanding, but she had just given him his umpteenth chance. And like many times before, he had passed, because when it came to her, he always did.

Hyde watched her walk away, knowing he was a coward. In his head, the past few weeks with her flashed. Every moment. Every smile and kiss. It all seemed like a dream now. The passion. The rain. The way warm water fell on their skin beneath his shower. It had simply been _water,_ but it was more than that. It was the way she smiled up at him from inside the cocoon of his sheets. The way she had clung to him on that ship like she had never let go. He could have opened his mouth. He could have yelled out her name. He could have put her in his car and driven all night. He could have stopped her right there and averted everything that was about to happen.

Because if he had known, if he could have seen the things to come, he wouldn't have been so still. He wouldn't have let her walk away ever again.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Wrapped Around Your Finger**

 **Music:**

 _Dancing with Myself_ by Billy Idol

 _Head Over Heels_ by Tears for Fears

 _Wrapped Around Your Finger_ by The Police

 _Someone Saved My Life Tonight_ by Elton John

* * *

Do you need some time on your own  
Do you need some time all alone  
 _Everybody_ needs some time on their own

* * *

Soft waves of heat pulsated and then pulled away, only to return all over again. Like warm water, thick and supple, it rolled and tumbled over him, each one made up of various shades of pink and blue, swirled in between heavy contours of beige. He could sense the consciousness behind these visions, the thoughts behind his eyes. They belonged to him, and a deep breath entered loudly, hissing and winding into his body like a snake.

He was alive.

Hyde opened his eyes, and in that very instant, the sweet, soothing hum that only female vocal cords can compose coated over him. "Mmmmmmm…" Another wave arrived, and in came breath from lungs that were not his, willowy and warm, just behind his ear. "Want to do it again?"

Hyde grinned sluggishly. He had ached for this, long before deciding that one-night stands got the job done but they felt nothing at all like this. All of his moron friends had been right. They sucked. There was just something cool about having a chick all his own. Deny all he wanted, but they were connected now, and he had never before been this far inside someone, never before had someone been this far inside him. It was usually nauseating, the thought; and it would be again soon, but for now, it was simply relief because, as pissed off as he had been, this feeling trumped everything.

Another throb struck Hyde and his consciousness rose. He could feel it treading just below the surface. Was this memory or dream? He wasn't sure, but he felt naked when her hands began to gently paint over his skin, up his arm and down the large muscles of his back. He thought he felt a kiss land between his shoulder blades. "I missed you." Her words came in a billowy whisper. "I thought about you every moment."

Hyde rolled in place to his other side and snuggled himself in closer to her, nuzzling his face between her head and the pillow. "You sure you weren't thinking about Kelso?"

There was pressure on his shoulders and he was moved back slightly. He knew immediately by the exhausted look of indignation on her face that she was aware of her missteps. Yes, he had fucked up, too; he had cheated, but he never once claimed to want anyone else but her. Since one muggy summer night, only a year before, it had been her. He had bared himself to her, admitted that he was in love, a risk, and a mistake, he decided that he would never make again. He could never let her know, because to admit how hard he had fallen would have meant death or something like it, but she had broken his heart.

Hyde watched her shake her head. "Steven…I was hurt, okay. There was never really a decision to make. I wanted you." Jackie popped up onto her elbow. " _But_ I was pretty mad at you, so I had to make you suffer a little."

Hyde grimaced. "So, what you're saying is you acted like you wanted Kelso just to teach me a lesson?"

"Well, yeah," she admitted. "What respectable girl wouldn't? And you deserved it. You broke my heart, Steven. Out of everyone, I thought that at least you…"

Blocking her words, Hyde kissed her quickly. "Alright. I get it. I'm still pissed," he pointed, "but I get it." Shrugging, he let it all go and laid his head back down on the pillow. "I probably would've done the same thing."

Jackie frowned. "You would've?" He nodded and rose to kiss her again. Her stiff lips had tried so hard not to smile, but they failed and Jackie began to laugh. Her soft palms landed on his cheeks, making him close his eyes as a giggling kiss landed on his mouth. "Oh, my Puddin' Pop. We're such a dysfunctional couple."

Hyde grinned at that. "I wouldn't have it any other way, babe."

They had kissed then and fooled around, rolled and tumbled, laughed and slept; they had relearned every turn, retraced every curve; they had decided that there would be no more games, no more stupidity and no more misunderstandings. And Hyde's brain wondered as consciousness pulled him into the real world how two teenagers, higher than kites, could make it right while he and that grown girl couldn't get anything right if they tried…

* * *

 **Friday**

 **November 23, 1984**

 **10:37 AM**

 **The Forman Residence**

...Hyde sat up slowly and scanned his bedroom. It had been years since he had woken up in this place. No longer did posters line its walls; nor did the smell of smoke linger heavily in the air. The only remnants that remained of his time here was the cot below him and the string of pink twinkle lights that were still coiled around the air duct.

Groaning, Hyde pushed the blankets off of him and sat up. He was still tired and, in spite of the hedonistic amount of alcohol he had ingested the night before, he was still thinking about her. His hand rose to feel the thick stubble on his face. All he had to do was take her away. Marry her. But the thought made him shake his head and rub his aching eyes. She never changed. It was the same damn argument, the same knife, five years and million miles away.

 _Marriage._

Their downfall.

Feeling the fall morning chill, Hyde stood up and stretched, still dressed in the clothes from the night before. If he wasn't so exhausted, he might have punched something but he _was_ and the walls were concrete so they were safe for now. With any real luck, he would run into Kelso later and just take it out on him.

Turning the corner into the basement, he heard the television and frowned in curiosity, stopping instantly upon the sight of blond hair and blue eyes, holding a basket of laundry.

Laurie grimaced. "Oh, _God_. What are _you_ doing here?" she sneered. "I thought you had your own place?"

Hyde shook his head. All he needed. "I do," he grumbled and walked into the basement.

"So, then why are you sleeping in my parents' basement, you bum?"

"Bartender took my keys."

"Oh," Laurie replied, nodding as she headed for the couch. "Been there." She sat down as Hyde headed toward a small refrigerator beside the sink. She had just begun to fold a pair of pants when a wicked smiled washed over her face. "Ooh, wait! You're busted, aren't you," she nodded happily.

Hyde grabbed a beer and turned around. "What?"

"Well, isn't little 'Miss Perfect' going to be upset that her precious 'Steven' didn't come home last night?" Gloating, Laurie mocked him with a silent laugh and returned to her laundry. "So, what were you doing, anyway? Picking up a second wife from the strip club?"

Hyde opened his can. "Nah, I don't do that around here. I don't want to get too smashed one night and accidentally bring _you_ home." He finished off the burn with a smirk and waited, but Laurie simply looked down woefully and grabbed another shirt from the basket.

Noticing that the fight appeared to be an unfair one this morning, Hyde sighed and walked over to his chair, taking another guzzle from his beer as he plopped down. "We broke up."

Laurie looked over glumly. "Oh," she responded sympathetically. "How come?"

"None of your business."

She rolled her eyes away but frowned, and brought them back to him. "Well, so… Aren't you a little bummed, though? I mean, I thought you really liked her."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Yeah, me, too," Laurie shrugged. "Me and _my_ guy broke up a couple days ago."

Hyde smiled. "So, what was the problem? You're not bringing in enough cash like the other girls?" He waited again, but each passing second of her silence only made him feel shittier. His shoulders sunk. " Aw, come on, Laurie. That was funny." He watched her shrug and pathetically fold another pair of jeans. "Man, you must you be really bummed out about this guy; you didn't even have one comeback about my mom."

"I know," she sulked. "I don't know what's wrong with me lately."

Hyde shrugged and drank his beer, but stopped as a warm, familiar scent filled him. "Hey, is that pancakes up there?"

"Yeah, my mom's making blueberry pancakes."

Wasting not another second, Hyde shot up from his chair and probably made it about halfway up the stairs when Laurie turned around excitedly.

"Oh, hey!" she screeched. "I was bringing in more than your mom!"

Hyde stopped, showing his approval with a nod. "Nice," he said as he continued up the steps while Laurie smiled and raised her shoulders, feeling proud of herself as she returned to her laundry...

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **Same Time**

"Ow!" Jackie stuck her thumb in her mouth and swore. "Damn!" She ran over to the sink and turned on the cold water. "Damn it." Just as she ran her reddening thumb beneath the water, there was a knock at the door. "Hang on," she called out in her most ladylike voice. Her burnt finger hurt like hell but she knew who was at the door and she couldn't let him see that she was having a difficult time.

Jackie grabbed a kitchen towel to dry her hand and headed for the door.

Colin knocked again. "Jackie!" He raised his head when she swung the door open with a smile.

"Hey, honey!"

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Colin rushed inside and looked around. "What's the emergency?" At first, he missed the smell and sound of bacon frying. All he could think about was the frantic sound in her voice when she had called. He turned around. "Jackie, what's going on?"

Jackie smiled, wiggling her hips a little, which drew his attention to her dress. It was something out of the fifties maybe, and it was topped by a frilly apron. "You hungry?"

"Jackie…" He stepped forward, slightly bemused. "Baby. What…" He looked around and had a thought. "Why aren't you at work? What's going on?"

"I called out."

"I thought you didn't have any sick-time left?"

"Well, I don't, but this is a special occasion," she explained and walked past him toward the kitchen. "I made biscuits. They're in the oven."

Colin frowned, finally noticing the overwhelming smell of food cooking. "You cooked?" He turned around.

"Uh huh."

Curious, Colin followed her into the kitchen, his mouth opening at the sight of it. It was clean and on the counter was a plate stacked with toast. On the stove was a pan-full of eggs and another pan with six sizzling strips of bacon. His eyes darted from item to item suspiciously. "Who did this?"

Jackie laughed. "I did it. I cooked," she exclaimed proudly, her arms spreading.

"You touched eggs? But I thought…" Then he noticed, tucked in the corner beside the breadbox, a pair of her winter gloves covered in egg slime. Colin held back a laugh. "Aw, sweetheart…" His attention back on her beautiful face, he stepped over and placed his hands on her hips. "Did you do this for me?"

She nodded. "Does it look good?"

"It looks incredible. What made you do all this?"

"Well…" Jackie looked around the kitchen and then at him. "I just want to be the perfect spouse for you. I wanted you to see that you'll be proud to call me your trophy wife."

Colin laughed amorously. "So…Are you saying…"

Jackie nodded. "I'm saying _Yes!_ I'll marry you." She offered him her best semi-pout, knowing that she had pushed her luck with him in the past week, but through it all, for the most part, he had tolerated it. And now she had to make it all up to him.

Obviously relieved, Colin smiled and held her head while he kissed her. The feeling it gave her made her smile and giggle against his lips; she was feeling like she had made the right decision—to stick with who was willing to make the commitment she had been waiting for her entire life. This was right, she told herself. This was how she had always imagined it should be. And now he would be her future, and she would focus on him to make it right, make him see what a perfect wife she would make so that in ten days, when she would have to confess, maybe he would forgive her. It was karma, she figured. In the past, she had forgiven; and now it was her turn to _be_ forgiven.

Jackie placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back a little. "Colin, I'm not going to be like my mother. I don't think she loved my daddy, but I love you and, I swear, if you ever get arrested for embezzlement, I'll come straight home from Mexico."

Colin smiled. "Thank you." He looked around. "But Jackie, you don't need to prove anything to me. I love you no matter what. Whether you cook or not."

"Really?"

"Really." After giving her a small kiss, Colin happily grabbed a piece of toast from behind her back and took a bite, silently remarking that he was impressed. "Though, I'm not against you learning to cook something other than spaghetti."

Jackie laughed and smacked his chest. "I _knew_ you were sick of my spaghetti."

* * *

It was heaven. That smell. Pancakes made by the coolest mom on earth. They just tasted better coming from her. But, damn, he would have to admit he was here. Hyde stepped back onto the stairway's top landing. He wasn't past waiting for her to leave and stealing what was left over, but then it would be cold.

"Damn it." Willing to take the lecture as dues for her pancakes, Hyde blew out a breath and casually strolled into the kitchen as if it was 1979 all over again. He walked past Kitty and sat down at the table next to Red, offering only a smile at the older man's deeply set grimace.

Immediately, Hyde began to slap pancakes onto an empty plate as Red and Kitty looked on. He pointed to the bottle of syrup in Red's hand. "You done with that?"

Red pulled the bottle toward himself. "Why are you in my house?" He looked desperately over at his wife. "Kitty. I thought we got rid of them all? They're like roaches. They keep coming back."

Kitty sighed. "Steven."

Hyde looked up, his hand still spreading butter over his hotcakes. "Yeah?"

Exasperated, Kitty shook her head. "Well, Laurie's downstairs with a suitcase, moping about some boy, and now you're here I want to know what's going on. Did you spend the night?" she asked, noticing his condition. His hair was a mess and sheet lines were still impressed in his cheeks.

Hyde looked between the two Formans. "Uh…Yeah, the bartender last night threatened to call the cops if I didn't give up my keys. I pulled the wrong house key off." He nodded and looked between them again. They were silent and Red looked even more vexed than before, so Hyde just decided to get back to his pancakes.

"Wait a minute…" Kitty stepped closer and placed her hands on her hips. "You were at a bar last night?"

Hyde didn't look up. "Uh-huh."

Immediately, she placed her hand on his forehead and wobbled with anger. "Well, what was Jessica thinking? Huh? You're a _sick_ boy; you shouldn't be out drinking at a bar in your condition!"

"No." Hyde looked up. "I'm fine now. I'm not sick anymore."

Kitty turned around. "I'm getting the thermometer."

"Kitty, sit down," Red pointed at her seat, making her sheepishly turn back around. "The boy said he's not sick." He waited. "Sit. Eat."

Her expression angry, Kitty looked between both men and sat. "Fine. But I'm calling that girl later to give her a piece of my mind."

"No," Hyde insisted. "Don't bother. We broke up."

"Oh…" Kitty's eyes widened as a thought struck her. "Ohhh! She didn't…about Jackie, did she? That poor girl."

"No." Hyde shook his head and took a bite of his pancakes. "No _. I_ broke up with _her_." He raised his shoulders. "I figured it was the right thing to do."

"Oh. Well…" Pouting sympathetically, Kitty lifted off her chair and kissed his head. "You're right. It was the right thing to do. But it's still such a shame."

Confused as hell, Red grimaced. "You broke up with the quiet one?"

"Huh? Yeah," Hyde responded as he cut into his pancakes again.

Kitty leaned toward her husband. "He was having an affair with Jackie," she whispered conspiratorially.

Hyde sulked in his seat. "Mrs. Forman…"

Red frowned curiously. "With the loud one again?"

"Well, Steven…" Kitty began to stack her own plate with pancakes. "You know I always thought Jessica was really good for you. She… She's a good girl, but I always knew how you felt about Jackie. It was a shame what happened with the two of you. So, I have to admit I'm glad you've both gotten your heads out of your rears and have decided to try again."

"Yeah, well, we're not together either," Hyde grumbled and took a bite.

Kitty dropped her fork loudly. "Excuse me? Why not?"

"Can we not talk about this?" Hyde asked.

"Because she ditched him," came a female voice from behind. He turned and saw Donna.

"Oh, Donna!" Kitty smiled. "Where's Eric?"

"Why is everybody in my house," Red asked.

"Eric went to class early, Mrs. Forman." Donna sat down at the table across from Hyde. "So, did Hyde tell you what Jackie did to him?"

Kitty turned to Hyde. "What did Jackie do to you? You tell me right now."

"Well, whatever it is," Red stood up from the table. "He'll forgive her." He looked down at Hyde. "Won't you, son?" The older man raised his eyebrows and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Hyde with the simple, but stern message he was given.

"Anyway," Donna started. "They made an agreement. He would break up with Jessica, and she would break up with Colin. They were going to move in together. But right after he dumped Jess, Jackie backed out."

"Well, why would she do that?" Kitty asked, suddenly upset.

Donna raised her eyebrows and looked at Hyde. "Because Colin slapped a six-thousand-dollar engagement ring on her little midget finger."

"Six thousand!" Kitty's jaw dropped, and she looked over at Hyde. "Steven, is that true?"

Hyde set a stern stare on Donna and pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth. "Look, it's fine. She can do whatever she wants." He stood up.

"Steven, sit down." Kitty pointed as Hyde stopped in place. " _Sit_ , young man," she repeated sternly making Hyde, once again, take his seat. "Now what happened?"

"Nothing." Pausing there, Hyde glanced between Donna and Kitty. Both were staring at him expectantly, and he knew he wasn't getting out of this one. "Fine, alright. She asked me if I was willing to run off with her and get…" He threw his hand up. "…freaking married, and I said no. I'm not going to be threatened into marriage." Grinding his jaw, embarrassed to even be admitting it, Hyde shook his head. "So, she picked him." He sat back in his seat, tossing down his fork.

Kitty gasped. "That little…" She lowered her eyes pensively as the anger seemed to dissolve from her face. Taking a deep breath, she raised her eyes again at Hyde and winced. "You know, I think…I think I might understand." She looked at Donna, who was frowning. "When I was in high school, I dated _Richard Tremble_. Oh, he was so handsome, like Carey Grant, and all the girls were falling over themselves for him, but, of course," she smiled, "he chose me. Well, when prom night came around, I was just so excited. We'd been dating for months, and I had my dress all picked out. It was the nicest shade of sky blue, and he had the matching cummerbund and bowtie. But _then,_ _wouldn't you know it," Kitty slapped the table,_ "the jerk never showed."

Donna shook her head. "That's terrible, Mrs. Forman."

"You're damn right it is. And do you know want to know _why_ he didn't show up?"

Interested to know, Donna sat forward. "Why?"

"Because I refused to put out like a Loose Louise, that's why!"

Hyde and Donna both groaned.

"That's right. Kitty Sigurdson was not a whore!"

Grimacing, Hyde shook his head at Donna. "You had to ask."

"That two-timing gigolo went with that hussy _Janice Valenko_ , instead," Kitty cried out angrily. "Well, when summer came, and Janice had gone off Mormon summer camp, that snake tried to win me back, and I said 'No having it, Mister!' You had your chance!' I knew he would just ditch me for the next red-headed hussy. No offense, Donna."

Noticing the guilty look on Hyde's face, Kitty stopped. "Oh, Steven, honey, I'm not saying you're a Richard Tremble. But well…" She cringed. "Coming home with a stripper…" Shaking her head, she looked over at Donna, who looked down, and then back at Hyde. "Marrying her, the very thing Jackie had going on and on about, well you have to understand how that probably made her feel. It's no wonder she's being cautious. It doesn't feel good to be abandoned. I would think you, of all people, would understand that."

Hyde swallowed. He'd figured as much. He knew he had done it to himself, knew from those first drunken tears of hers in the hotel room in Chicago that her wounds were fresh. He'd never tended to them. And if anyone would know, if there was anyone he could ask, it was this woman. Hesitantly, Hyde looked up. "So, what do I do?"

* * *

 **Kelso Residence**

 **12:47 PM**

"What time are you going to be back?!"

With her front doorknob in hand, Brooke looked over at Jackie and shrugged. "What do you think? Four?"

Jackie shrugged.

"Four, I guess!" Brooke yelled back to Kelso's mother. "Maybe five! Michael should be home by three, though!" She shut the door, leading Jackie to finally let her face fall. She threw her hands in the air.

"Okay, what the hell was that!"

"What?"

"What do you mean, what?" Jackie asked as they both began to head toward Brooke's minivan. "That girl! Why am I being nice to her, Brooke? She slept with Michael!"

"Well, so did you, and I'm nice to you."

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "You _know_ what I mean, Brooke."

Both girls got inside the van and shut the doors. "I don't know what it is," Brooke said, "but I can't bring myself to be angry with her. I don't know why, but I believe them when they say it meant nothing." She looked over at a stunned Jackie. "And I think I forgive them. I mean, I have to."

"No, you don't," Jackie sneered.

"Well, what _else_ can I do, Jackie? My options are to never forgive them and live without the love of my life, make my kids grow up without their father, who they adore, or just…" she shook her head, "…forgive them. I can't spend my life bitter about the past. I can only move forward in a way that allows me to live with myself."

Jackie looked down. "I don't know."

Brooke shrugged. "I love him. What can I say? And," she started the car, "that little boy…One day he's going to ask about his mother, and I want to be able to tell him something good."

"Yeah, but doesn't it bother you that, when Marie leaves, they're going to be alone together?"

Brooke laughed. "They won't even look at each other. I'm not worried."

Jackie shook her head. "Well, I think you're crazy."

"So do I," Brooke laughed. "But I feel oddly alright about the whole thing, so what does it matter? I still want to marry him." She looked over at Jackie, who was wearing a frown as she stared at her lap. "What's the matter?" A cheerless shake of the small brunette's head caused Brooke to leave the car in park and turn in her seat. She sighed. "Come on. Out with it. We have things to do today."

"Why wouldn't he marry me, Brooke? I mean, I really thought he was different this time."

"Jackie," Brooke scolded. "You can't just demand that someone marry you and then get upset when they resist. The two of you just started this thing, this fling, whatever it is, what, three weeks ago? I can't even believe you asked. He's probably just not ready."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "That's exactly what he _used_ to say when we were dating and then he married that skank."

Hearing that, Brooke turned her head forward and blew out a breath. She searched her brain for an excuse for him, an explanation, but none came. And then Jackie spoke again.

"I'm going to tell Colin."

Brooke frowned. "Tell him what?"

"About my affair with Steven." Jackie looked over at her friend with affected eyes. "I don't know if he'll still want to marry me but I can't lie anymore." Jackie grimaced. "And it's disgusting me, Brooke! I used to be such a good liar. It always came so naturally to me, you know, like shopping and insulting Donna but… now…" She groaned and threw out her hands. "I'm like this stupid, guilty lump all the time! Thank God I'm still pretty."

"When were you planning on telling him?"

"I don't know," Jackie shrugged. "Tonight? Tomorrow? What do you think?"

"No, no, no. Hang on." Brooke put her hands up. "Okay, look. I'm really glad that you want to be honest with him but can't it wait until after my wedding? I need him. I need you." She brought her hands to her heart. "And I promise, when I get back from my honeymoon, I will completely focus on helping you tell him. I just really need your help right now. I'm going to be a mess. I have so much to do and if you start falling apart, I'm going to fall apart, too."

Thoughtfully, Jackie sighed. "Fine. You're right. I wasn't thinking. You'll really help me?"

"Of course."

Jackie nodded. "OK. So then, do you think you could tell him _for_ me?" Brooke shook her head and Jackie groaned. "I hate everything…"

* * *

 **The Next Day**

 **Saturday**  
 **November 24, 1984**

 **7:46 PM**

 **Forman Basement**

Eric raised the old record in his hand and spun it to see 'Side B' before he set it down and laid down the spindle.

Suddenly music began to tumble and bounce throughout the cool basement. It had Hyde rocking subtly in his seat as he watched 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special' with Kelso. The gang was waiting for the last of their bachelor/bachelorette party to arrive—Jackie and Colin—before they could head for the nightclub. The energy Hyde was releasing in his forward rocking had little to do with a feel for a beat and more to do with the fact that he was dreading having to pretend, once again, like he and Jackie were mere acquaintances. The thoughts in his head were telling him that it was a bunch of crap having to hide, to pretend that everything was fine.

Hyde shifted in his seat and pulled down his thermal sleeves before refolding his arms. It was cold tonight, bitterly cold, and the smell of firewood burning was still in the room from when Fez and Amy had breezed in a few minutes before. He had to talk to her, Hyde decided, but he would have to get her alone and the only way to make that happen was to somehow get rid of Lucky Charms. It didn't take him long to formulate a plan, though, for there was one thing Steven Hyde had that no one else did. Not even Lucky Charms.

A high tolerance.

The door swung open, letting in more of the cold, and Hyde looked over as Jackie walked in and stopped at the site of him.

She scanned the room while Colin stepped in behind her. "Hey."

Immediately, Hyde's eyes were drawn to her physical presence as everyone else greeted the pair in their own way. It was angering how beautiful she looked, hair down in loose, shining curls, bright eyes trimmed in black to match the little dress beneath her coat. The dark wool jacket was covering her shoulders but her legs were bare and made his heart thump against his wishes. His eyes rose to her face again just in time to witness Colin whisper in her ear and her hands gripped his sides as she listened.

Hyde rolled his eyes back toward the television. Fuck _everyone_ if they thought he was going to watch this crap all night.

He hadn't expected to be this pissed off, like violently pissed off. He wanted to set the world on fire, and to hell everybody in it. He had witnessed their affections before but, this time, it invoked possessiveness. The jealousy was palpable and nearly drove him to his feet. Hyde tightened his jaw. He couldn't, though. So instead, balling his fists, he redirected the covetous energy into drive. There was a mission to be accomplished. _Operation: Purge Lucky Charms._

Or something like that.

Hyde kept his eyes on the television as Jackie walked with Colin past the couch toward where Kelso and Brooke were standing near the washer. "Hey." Her voice was its testing level, submissive and high pitched in tone.

Hyde shot up from his seat and walked over, causing a panic inside Jackie and in everyone else, he noticed, which completely amused him. He knew she was expecting a spiteful remark, a glare, something, but he had different plans tonight. So as the group of four watched him approach, he simply grinned as Brooke gestured at Jackie's outfit.

"Oh, wow. You look amazing."

Nodding, Hyde glossed over Jackie's body and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's a nice dress, Jackie."

Jackie took a deep breath, avoiding eye contact with him. "Thank you."

To her right, Colin leaned up against the washer, quiet while the rest, besides Hyde, smacked their lips and rocked in place. His eyes fell on Hyde, who looked over and smiled, nodding his head as he grinned unaffectedly through the awkwardness.

"This is nice," Hyde remarked happily, his sights, of course, landing right back on Jackie. She was panicky, but Hyde felt no mercy. She was going to acknowledge him tonight. This bullshit was going to end. They wanted to be together. Their problem was only a matter of titles and logistics, but she was being stubborn and playing her goddamn Jackie games. Well, he could play games, too.

So, with a mischievous expression displayed proudly, Hyde reached out and grabbed Jackie's left hand. "What's this?" Jackie looked up as her hand rose with his, her eyes growing wide.

"It's an engagement ring," Colin responded for her as everyone looked on. "I proposed." Jackie forced a smile. "And she said yes."

Hyde nodded. "Cool. I guess congratulations are in order then, huh?" He smiled, almost genuinely, at Colin, then leaned in to kiss Jackie languidly on her cheek, not hesitating to use a little tongue. "Congratulations." He could feel her muscles tensing beneath the grip he had on her ass, hidden by her coat, and when he stepped back, her nervousness was gone, replaced seamlessly by anger. But Hyde would not let go of his amused smile. Nothing gave him more pleasure than tripping her up on her bullshit.

Not quite finished, Hyde turned to Colin and stepped over, swinging his hand around the Irishman's back to land on his shoulder. "Come on, buddy. You're getting' married. We've gotta celebrate!"

Desperate, Jackie turned eyes to Kelso. "Michael, do something."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Brooke," Jackie turned to her friend and pleaded for some comfort.

Shrugging, Brooke shook her head, her words and eyes completely lacking in certainty. "I'm sure he's not going to tell him. He won't."

Jackie's whole body wilted as Brooke slipped an arm around her. She began to walk toward the couch, frowning as she watched Hyde happily put a circle together with Colin at his side. Her feet shuffled forward. It wasn't as if she was happy about what was happening between them. She had recanted her decision a million times in her head, but it all came back to one thing. She couldn't go through 1979 all over again. It had been a terrible year. And she had come too far to be swallowed up by a past that had tried to kill her. She just wanted to be happy. Strangely, though, she was anything but.

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

"No! No!" Hyde smacked Fez's hand away and grinned over at Colin, the yellow canary feathers practically visible in his mouth. "It's my buddy, Colin's, turn again. You guys have that one," he pointed at the second joint in Kelso's hand on the other side of the circle.

"Hyde's he's high enough, man," Eric laughed, genuinely amused by the look of complete bliss on the foreigner's face. "He never smokes."

"That's OK. If he wants to be part of this group, he needs to build up his tolerance."

"I'm fine," Colin said, his tone sluggish.

Jackie sent a scathing stare Hyde's way, but he only smiled at her as Colin drew in a deep hit, unwittingly pulling himself in deeper to the enemy's plan.

Colin handed the joint past Hyde to Fez, but Hyde caught it and handed it back "Come on, Lucky Charms. One more."

"Man," Colin scowled. "You call me Lucky Charms one more fucking time, I'm going to have to kick your ass." He looked up at Hyde and slowly began to laugh, making Hyde smile and nod.

"See, he's fine," Hyde said.

"Great." Jackie rolled her eyes and confiscated the joint from Colin. She took a hit. "Colin, _why_ are you even listening to him anyway?! You two hate each other."

Colin frowned. "I don't hate Hyde."

"You should," Kelso threw in.

Jackie smacked him in the chest. "Michael, shut up!"

"Ow! You're always hitting people!"

"See," Hyde pointed to Colin, keeping his eyes on her. "He doesn't hate me." He turned to Colin. "Right, man?"

Lethargically, Colin shook his head. "Nope."

"Because he's high," Jackie argued. "It's impossible to hate anything when you're high!"

Colin smiled, chuckling slightly. "Why is everybody yelling?"

Hyde slapped his hand down on Colin's knee. "Hey. Did I ever tell you about the time Jackie and I were in my room and I gave her a big, fat…"

"Steven!"

Hyde smiled. "Joint." Jackie kicked him. "Ah!" He grabbed his shin. "Man, you _are_ always hitting people!"

Colin shook his head. "She hits me all the time."

"See," Hyde pointed.

"It's 'cause she's violent," Kelso explained angrily. "She was always slapping me in my chest when we were going out."

Colin nodded. "She's always pinching me, man. I hate it." Jackie whipped her head right; she had it coming at her from all sides and she had had enough. Without warning, she pinched a chunk of the flesh from Colin's chest into a knot. "Ah! Fuck, Jackie!"

Hyde began to laugh, not noticing Jackie rise until she had already kicked him in the shin. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For thinking this whole thing is funny!" She sat back down next to Colin in a huff.

Fez stood up and peeled the joint from Colin's fingers before sitting back down. "Yes, and every time I went in for a kiss, she would flick my face."

Jackie leaned forward. "You had chocolate around your mouth, _Fez."_

Glancing around the circle, Amy frowned. "OK, is there anyone here that Jackie _didn't_ date?"

"Ohhh, Amy, no," Eric groaned and shook his head. "We don't talk about that in the circle anymore."

Donna nodded. "Yeah, it always ends violently." She frowned, remembering. "Sometimes there's blood."

"What _doesn't_ end violently around here, though?" Brooke asked.

His hands at the sides of his head, Kelso smiled. "Hey, has anyone ever noticed that my right ear is bigger than my left?"

"OK, that's it." Jackie stood up and pointed at Amy. "I didn't date Eric for your information, _nosy!_ 'Cause EW! And one more thing…" She slapped Kelso in the chest, pinched Colin, kicked Hyde and flicked Fez in the face. "Let's go!"

* * *

 **One Hour Later**

 **The Moon Night Club**

 **Kenosha, Wisconsin**

 _If I looked all over the world  
And there's every type of girl  
But your empty eyes seem to pass me by  
Leave me dancing with myself..._

Seated in a half-mooned booth, the entire gang looked on as four pitchers of beer and a tray layered with shots were placed down in the center of their table. The lights were dimmed, the music blared and people crowded wall to wall inside the smoky hometown bar, but Jackie did not miss the up-to-no-good smile on Hyde's face as he pooled six of the shots into his hands.

"Alright!" He sat at the booth's edge beside Colin, who was still high as a kite and sandwiched between the two old lovers. "Half for you," Hyde announced to Colin, placing down four shots in front of the Irishman and two in front of himself. "Half for me."

Eric raised his hand. "Uh, Hyde, that's not half."

"Shut up," Hyde pointed.

"You can't out drink me, Hyde," Colin sneered. "I'm Irish." He laughed and took two shots.

"Yeah, well, we'll see," Hyde replied and chugged his shots down quickly.

"Steven," Jackie scolded and placed one knee on the seat to face both men. "Stop it. Stop trying to get him drunker than you." She took one of Colin's shots away from him and put it in front of Hyde.

"Hey!" Colin contested. "That one's mine."

"No, dummy, it's Steven's. He's tricking you, but you're too loaded to see it."

Hyde shook his head at Colin. "I wouldn't trick you, man. She's the one. She just doesn't want you to have any fun."

"Hyde," Donna called out.

"What? It's true," Hyde insisted. "She's a party fouler." He turned to Colin again. "She is, man. When we were going out, I used to put these little shot glasses on her bellybutton…"

"Steven!"

Across the table, Donna elbowed Eric.

"Alright!" Eric laughed nervously and raised a shot. "How about a toast!" Around the table, everybody acquired themselves a shot glass from the center. "To…uh… Kelso and Brooke. May, um…your kids always be… plentiful and…your house dry." He shook his head at Donna. "I don't…"

"To Kelso and Brooke!" Donna yelled out.

"To Kelso and Brooke!" everyone followed and drank.

Hyde slammed his shot glass down and looked over at Colin. "Hey," he grabbed another shot for Colin and one for himself. "We have to make another toast…" He leaned forward, looking past Colin, and locked down Jackie's eyes. He had her attention, and he spoke with them. He was hurting. And if she really loved him, she would stop this bullshit. She would find a way. "To Jackie and Colin," he finished. The whole table turned quiet as Hyde held his eyes on her. Everyone noticed, except Colin, who was busy stacking his empty shot glasses. But the rest knew. They could see what Hyde was doing to himself. "That's yours." Hyde moved Colin's drink closer in and pointed at it. "Wait, drink that first." Then he grabbed another glass for him.

Colin frowned. "You drink yours."

"I will." Hyde drank his and grabbed himself another as Colin did the same.

"Eric, do something," Jackie demanded.

Almost laughing at the idiocy, Eric held out his hands. "What do you want me to do?"

Jackie shifted her attention to the other side of Brooke in the center of the seat. "Michael."

Kelso nodded. "I got it, Jackie. Don't you worry," he assured her and pulled the shot tray toward himself. "Hyde! You've gotta share with the rest of us, man. Hey! Let's make it a race!"

Jackie dropped her head to the table.

"It's OK, sweetie," Brooke said in Jackie's ear while she rubbed her back. She glanced at her watch. "Only, I'd say, four more hours of this, at most." Jackie started to dry sob, and deciding that she needed a little liquid soothing of her own, Brooke grabbed a couple of the shots from the tray and handed one to Jackie. "Pound it. If you're drunk, too, you won't care so much."

Jackie raised her head and took the glass. "Just wake me when it's over…"

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

 _I wanted to be with you alone  
And talk about the weather  
But traditions I can trace against the child in your face  
Won't escape my attention..._

Staring through thick glass, Hyde tipped his beer mug back and rolled it all along its circumference. He had never in his life been able to remember so much. It was hard to tell anymore what was real, what was forgotten, and what was to be left in the past. Thoughts of his youth were spilling over relentlessly. He had been stubborn, and she had been precocious, to say the least, persistent, especially in her stalker days, but she had surprised him. No matter how annoying, no matter how 'square', she was always something special, something colorful amidst the gray, and there was no doubt, something beautiful amidst the ugly. He was only sorry it took him so long to see it.

It was that girl, though, that aggravating, loud-mouthed, selfish, hope-filled, beautiful girl that he wanted to talk to. She would listen to him. But she was lost, and trapped in memory, still in her little dresses with her hair feathered 'just right.' She would have been on his lap right now, fussing over him, encouraging him to not give up, to fight for her if he really loved her. He could still hear her voice, cooing in his ear, doting on him and insisting that he was so much better than he believed—that he could do it. She believed in him.

Hyde took a drink of his beer. He still didn't know what he was going to do. Give up or give in.

"Hyde."

Feeling the liquor-lag, Hyde cleared his throat and looked up at Donna, the only other person at the table. "Huh?"

"I talked to Jess today," the redhead told him.

"Yeah?" Hyde finished the last of his beer.

"Yeah. You know, she would take you back in a second. She's not mad at you."

Hyde nodded. "I know."

At the return of the gang, Donna sighed and sat back.

"We got more beer," Colin called out drunkenly and slapped down four more pitchers in front of Hyde. He patted Hyde on the shoulder. "I got you some Guinness, but it wasn't on tap, so the waitress is bringing it over. You've gotta try it, man. It's better than this watered-down American shit."

Hyde nodded. "Cool, man. Thanks." He stood up, as did Donna, to let everybody back in to the booth. Jackie slipped in quickly without looking at him, but he wasn't the only one who had noticed. Across the table, Donna raised her eyebrows. It was just another reminder that he was running out of time.

 _I made a fire and I'm watching it burn  
Thought of your future  
With one foot in the past  
Now just how long will it last…_

* * *

Nearly Two Hours Later

Lost in laughter, Jackie dropped her head back and stomped her feet lightly below the table. "Oh, my God! I forgot about that!" She looked over at Fez, who sat to her left, and covered her mouth. "Oh, Fezzie, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," he said flatly. "I'm glad I could amuse you."

"Oh, Fez." Donna leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder. "That was a long time ago. You don't still…" She looked over at Amy. "He doesn't still sing, does he?"

Amy looked over at her boyfriend. "Uh…"

"Ask Jackie," Jackie heard coming from the empty area to her right. Hyde and Colin were back from the bar with drinks in hands; except this time, Hyde noticed his opportunity and slid in before Colin with a grin on his face. "She would know."

"No, she wouldn't," Fez replied. "Jackie and I never did it. Silly Hyde."

Hyde looked at Jackie and then at Fez. "You didn't?"

"Oh, she'd remember it if we did. Trust me," Fez winked at Jackie, making her laugh.

Suddenly, Hyde felt a strange sense of respite hit him. She had been chaste, and not only did that mean that he was an asshole for giving her so much shit about it over the years—Hyde looked over at Jackie again—it meant that she hadn't sleep with anyone in the entire year after their break-up. The news caused a strong brew of guilt to bubble inside. While he was fucking every chick that he could get his hands on, her body had still been his. Jackie looked over at him with raised eyebrows, and Hyde could only smile his embarrassment away and turn his face forward. Maybe it was the drink in his hand or the fact that he could feel the heat from her bare skin warming his leg, but he was a breath away from exposing them all. It was clear to him; Jackie was his, and he still had some fight left in him.

"Hyde," Eric called out.

A small smirk rising, Hyde took another drink from his glass and let his left hand slide to her leg. "Huh." He gripped the flesh inside her thigh and felt her tense.

"Stop," he heard her grumble quietly. He could see it in her eyes as he let go that she missed him. She still wanted him. It was wearing all over her angry face. He only grinned, though. Sometimes he forgot how much fun it was to give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Did you say, _Don't stop_?" he whispered and dragged his finger up her thigh, causing her lips to purse.

"Hyde," Eric repeated.

Hyde looked over. "What?"

"I need to talk to you. Now. Come on."

"About _what_?" Hyde watched Eric get up from the table and turned to Colin, who was busy talking with Kelso. He stood and grabbed a pitcher of beer, almost spilling it before he filled Colin's glass to the brim and slapped the foreigner in the back.

"Drink up, man." Hyde raised his chin. "I've gotta get out."

"Oh." Colin stood, and Hyde was soon stumbling behind Eric through the crowded nightclub toward the bathrooms.

"Man, we're not chicks. We don't need to go to the bathroom together."

"No. Hyde." Eric stopped short of the bathroom hallway and turned. "I just wanted to talk to you." He took a deep breath. "I think you need to sober up."

Hyde laughed. "We're at a bar, Forman. You haven't gone soft on me, have you?"

Eric's face remained stoic, though. "No, just listen to me, man. I know what you're going through with Jackie, okay? I know, man. I did it with Donna. It sucks seeing her with another guy, but you've gotta let this one go. They're getting married."

"She's full of crap. She doesn't want him."

"There's…She's wearing his engagement ring, man."

"So? What is this high school? I don't give a fuck if she's wearing his ring. She's only doing that to scare me into marrying her."

Eric shook his head as he watched their table. "I don't think so. I think they're serious, man."

His eyes narrowing, Hyde pointed at his friend. "Did Donna put you up to this?"

"Hyde."

"No, Forman. Stay out of it." Suddenly, Hyde perked up. From where he stood, he could see Jackie moving away from the table with Brooke and Amy. "Hey. Man," He slapped Eric on the shoulder. "Keep Lucky Charms busy."

Hyde took off.

"What? No. Hyde," Eric called out. "Come here. I need you…" A few guys walked past Eric, eyeing him strangely. "No," he laughed nervously and shook his head. "I don't _need_ him. We used to live together. I mean, but not… Not that there's anything wrong with that…I…eh, screw it." Giving up, he waved them off and walked back toward the table.

In the middle of the dance floor, Jackie laughed and moved to the music. Nearby, Hyde was watched her. She was drunk. It was his only chance.

When he approached, she raised her finger. "No, Steven. I told you, there's nothing to say."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap, Jackie." He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her toward the other side of the dance floor, as far away from Colin as he could get them. He found a cozy, dark corner, hidden inside a crowd.

"Steven, just stop," she said. "I'm trying, okay. I'm trying to move past this and get back to my life. And you're not helping!"

"You don't want him," he said, bringing her against him.

"Steven, you're drunk."

"I'm not that drunk." He lied. He was wasted.

Jackie shook her head as he took hold of her hips. "You're slurring." Then, like she always used to, she reached up to stroke his cheeks. "God, your eyes are so red. Steven. Will you please just sober up?" She looked in the direction of the table. "Please."

Wanting her attention all to himself, he kissed her. "C'mon, Jackie. Let's just go home."

"We don't have a home, Steven."

"We have my place," he said. "I'd rather it just be me and you anyway. I hate clubs like this. Come home with me. We can do stuff on the couch like we used to. That was fun." He grinned proudly at the offer.

"Oh, Steven."

"Oh, Jackie," he echoed, rubbing his face against hers, lost in his affection for her. He could climb inside and be happy.

Jackie shook her head. "No." She wriggled free from his grasp and cut right, disappearing into the crowd.

"Jackie!" Hyde pushed someone out of the way, keeping his eyes on her dark hair as she moved. "Jackie!" As he walked faster through the crowd, he noticed that she had made it back to the table. "God damn it," he spat, raising his hand to the back his head. He hated being drunk for this. He wasn't saying the right things, and she wasn't fucking listening. It was all for nothing.

Hyde saw an empty stool at the bar and charged over. "Hey!" he shouted over the music, taking a seat. "Some Jack over here!" The bartender arrived a moment later with a small glass and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Hyde watched him slowly pour. "Fill it."

"Can I get the same?"

Hyde looked over to the seat beside him where a girl, about his age, maybe a little younger, sat down with her eyes on him. She was a natural blond, and he immediately noticed that her long, bare legs were crossed toward him.

She smiled. "Hey."

"Hey."

"You want some company?"

"Uh, no." Hyde turned to his drink and took a swig before returning to the girl with an extended hand. "I'm Hyde."

She smiled a great smile and sat back in her seat, giving him that look that he hadn't seen in a while. It was all in her eyes. "Renee."

Nodding, Hyde leaned forward and placed his elbows on the bar as he took a drink. "You have a boyfriend, Renee?"

"Nope…"

* * *

Twenty-Five Minutes Later

 _I have only come here seeking knowledge  
Things they would not teach me of in college  
I can see the destiny you sold  
Turn into a shining band of gold..._

There couldn't have been more than six inches between his lips and hers. 'The music is too loud' had been her excuse to move in this close as they chatted and flirted. She couldn't hear him, she claimed, and had uttered every word since deep into his left ear, each time giving him a chance to turn his eyes toward Jackie. She was cozily tucked behind Colin's shoulder, still in their booth, as wanton breath warmed Hyde's ear. This girl's chest pressing into his, her lips on his skin, Hyde watched Jackie's mouth get taken by someone else. He watched her smile. He watched her brood and search for him.

She was killing him.

"Hyde." Renee drew back and smiled.

"Hm?"

"I'm going to get another drink; you want one?"

"Uh… yeah." He slapped a five-dollar bill on the bar to cover it and tried to ignore the incredible way this stranger smelled, and the fact that she was finding any reason to touch him, to entice him. She wanted him, and he found himself in need of the affection. The cloudy haze in his brain told him she would make him feel better. Her lips and skin would be warm and soft. She would taste so good. His tongue craved her. Rejection did that. Anger enhanced the feeling. The desire for revenge fueled it.

"You know…" The girl took in a deep breath. "This place gives me a headache."

"Yeah, me, too."

"I don't live too far from here."

Hyde swallowed and watched her sultry mouth. "Yeah?"

"You want to get out of here?"

Hyde looked over Jackie. She was looking down, and although the table was lively, she was not. He had to get her alone. "I can't." He looked at his new friend, her expression now drawn. "It's not you."

"What, do you have a girlfriend or something?"

 _Devil and the deep blue sea behind me  
Vanish in the air you'll never find me  
I will turn your face to alabaster  
When you find your servant is your master_

Hyde frowned and turned toward the bar. "I don't know."

Renee made a face. "You don't know?" Hyde shook his head and took another drink. "You mean, you don't want to mess up your chances with someone by coming home with me."

Hyde looked over, curious. "How'd you know that?"

She laughed and shrugged. "You look miserable. Did you break up with someone or something?" She raised her hands. "You know what, never mind, it's none of my business."

Hyde cleared his throat. "No. It's cool. I just… I'm trying to work it out with my ex."

Renee nodded. "Ahhh." She quickly pouted an understand smile. "Well, I guess it's my loss."

Hyde smiled. "I'll buy you another drink, though, if you want."

"Steven." Still looking at Renee, Hyde smiled, amused and relieved at the sound of Jackie's enraged voice and the sharp tap on the back of his shoulder. Renee looked behind him to acknowledge her, but Hyde simply waited. "Steven," he heard again through gritted teeth.

His blond companion frowned. "Um, I think that girl's talking to you."

Hyde nodded. "Brunette? _Really_ beautiful? Big, _fat_ mouth?" Renee wouldn't respond, only raising her eyebrows as she turned back to the bar. And inside that silence, Hyde could feel the heat of mismatched blue and green eyes burning an inferno into his skull. She was pissed. He could hear the click, click, click of her foot tapping and he had never been more pleased by the sound.

 _Oh, you'll be wrapped around my finger..._

His expression apathetic, Hyde turned around. "Yes, my little Tangerine. How can I help you?"

"Get over here," Jackie demanded and yanked him from the seat by his shirt.

Hyde grinned at Renee and winked. "Hey, it was nice meeting you, Renee."

Renee smiled and waved her fingers flirtatiously. "You, too, Hyde."

Jackie yanked at him again and nearly made him fall.

"Ah! Ow," were his last words as he finally succumbed to Jackie's demands.

"Get over here!" Taking him by the hand, Jackie watched the group's table carefully as she dragged him to the small hallway by the bathrooms and turned around with her back to the wall. "Who the hell is she?"

"Oh." Hyde looked back over at Renee. "That's Renee." He grinned at Jackie. "I think she likes me." Far beyond delighted, Hyde stood still and admired the beautiful, scowling face of his ex-girlfriend, his smile quickly growing as he spread his legs to come eye to eye with her. "You're beautiful when you're jealous."

Jackie folded her arms. "I know."

Hyde nodded, a slight smile still curving his lips as he stared at her. "You love me." Slipping his arms around her waist, he leaned in and laid a thick kiss just below her jaw. "Have you changed your mind about us?"

"No." Jackie closed her eyes at the feeling of another warm kiss landing on her neck and then another and another. Each was so intimate, like they were home, naked in bed, wrapped around each other, and not in this loud, crowded place. "I just needed to talk to you."

"Oh?" Hyde raised an eyebrow. Straightening himself up, he folded his arms.

"I'm here to tell you that it's over, Steven." Nervously, Jackie rubbed her lips together and shook her head, ignoring the stiff expression on his face. "I'm marrying Colin. It's going to happen. I gave you your chance. Now you need to stop what you're doing." Her eyes were downcast but after several seconds of no response from him, Jackie looked up. "Why can't you just say you're happy for me? Like you did with Fez."

"Because I wasn't happy for you with Fez," he admitted, grimacing. "I was pissed."

Jackie deflated.

"You really want him more than me, Jackie," Hyde asked emphatically, his unmerciful eyes held on hers. "If so, then say it."

"I… I don't…" Jackie shook her head, unable to answer. "I…"

"Just say it. You want him more than you want me." Hyde shrugged. "Is that it? You love him more? Or is this because he's willing to marry you right now, and I'm not?" Pushing his jaw forward, Hyde waited as Jackie simply held her eyes down, unwilling to look at him. "Come on, Jackie. Which is it?" He took a breath… Now what? What did her answer matter? She was choosing Colin over him anyway, regardless of the absurdity of her reasoning.

Hyde dropped his shoulders, having not realized how tense his entire body had been, and stepped closer to her, bringing his lips back down toward her ear. "Come on, Jackie. This is _stupid_. Just break it off with him already."

"I can't," Jackie responded restlessly. "It's already too late."

"No, it's not." Scowling, Hyde brought his face to hers and gripped her hips. "Just shut the hell up for one damn second and listen to me… You were constantly pushing. That's why we broke up. If you would've just given me time instead of nagging so much about marriage, I would've come around…" He paused. "… eventually."

"Eventually…" Jackie shook her head. "When, Steven? Before or after you got all those skanks out of your system."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know, now that I think about it, you never once acted like you cared that we were through. In fact, you told everyone you were happy we broke up, you were 'happy to be rid' of me, remember? You told Donna you never loved me. And she believed you. You know how much that hurt, Steven?" Jackie furrowed her brow. "Do you?" She shook her head and inhaled to let out whatever bad feelings were showing themselves. "Look, OK, I'm not angry at you about it anymore. I'm really not. I'm just trying to protect myself. I thought about it long and hard, and the only way to be sure that you weren't going to abandon me again was for us to get married." Taking hold of his hands, Jackie removed them from her hips and left them at his sides. "I needed you to want me that much, Steven. I needed to know that you wanted me so bad, loved me _so much_ , that you would do anything to get me back. Anything. That's what I needed from you."

Hyde shook his head. "It's just a piece of paper, Jackie."

"Exactly, Steven."

"If I could go back, I would. I would change everything. I would make it right. I would hold onto you for dead life. But I can't. I just can't."

"I know that, Steven. All we can do is deal with what's in front of us right now."

"So, you're going to marry his guy you don't want?"

"I never said I didn't want him. I told you I love him."

Shifting his weight, Hyde rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you've said it a hundred times. I think you even said it once while we were doin' it, or was that a dream?"

Jackie cocked her head at him. "Look, Steven. I believe that you believe you won't hurt me. I never said you ever planned the things you did, but it's just what happens. You said yourself that you're impetuous and rash."

Hyde's body wilted, especially the center of his chest. It was pain churning and forming the words, poorly. "God, you're… You don't listen." He looked around, his lips pursed. She was making him crazy. "You have a pen in your purse?"

"What?"

"A pen."

Jackie threw up her hands. "I don't know. I think so." Confused, she reached into her purse. "What do you need a pen for anyway?" Right then she pulled one out. "Here."

Hyde grabbed her left hand and pulled off her engagement ring.

"Steven! What are you doing?" Jackie readied herself to kick him but relaxed the second he slipped the ring into her right hand and forced her to clutch it.

"There, alright," he assured her with eye contact and then shifted his attention down. Taking her ring finger into his hand, Hyde began to draw a line in the place where her ring had been. "I'm not going to cheat on you," he insisted vehemently. "I'm never going to leave you again." He finished the pen stroke by making both ends meet, completing the circumference. Gripping her hand, he forced her to look at the blue ring around her finger. "This is my word. It's just as good as any ring, Jackie. It means the exact same thing. It's just not all fancy like his."

Her back flat against the wall, Jackie made her eyes trace the dark cobalt ring he had drawn and felt a sob begin to boil inside her. It rose and burst out her eyes and nose. It was getting harder to breath. She looked up at Hyde and shook her head. "It's going to wash away."

Frowning, Hyde thought about it. "Then I'll draw it again," he said, relieved to see that her gaze was much more forgiving than before. "I'll draw it every day if you need me to." Her eyes were alive with thought. He waited until impatience struck him and cupped both sides of her jaw. "I'm not going to take off on you again." He brought his lips to hers. "Will you just freakin' believe me already?" He kissed her. "I love you, Jackie," he whispered between kisses. "I love you."

Jackie took his kiss and savored it, trying to lock into memory the softness of his lips and the gentle way he puckered them, feeling his sorrow, his desperation. She kept her eyes open and watched him as he closed his. Between each kiss, his tongue would slip through in light thrusts, just touching the tip of hers until she pulled away. "You're too late," she said. "I'm sorry."

"People break off engagements all the time," he said in his desperation. "Look at Forman and Donna. They've done it, what, twelve times now?"

"Twice," she corrected.

"Whatever. Just tell him you change your mind. He'll believe it. You do it thirty times a day," he scoffed and then kissed her lips again. Jackie closed her eyes and made her body rise a little to meet his. She kissed him back and let his tongue into her mouth. He was growing confident with each kiss, though; Jackie could feel him pulling her in and pushed him away.

"I can't kiss you anymore," she said.

"Why not?"

Jackie touched his face. "Because you're _too_ late, Steven. It's over."

"No." Hyde shook his head. "We can get through this."

"We can't." She then opened her mouth and tried to force the words out, but the need to stifle a sob stopped her. She was reduced to a head shake until it passed, until it was able to be swallowed down. And when it was gone, she knew it was time. "It just happened, okay."

Hyde frowned and straightened his back. He looked at her for a moment. " _What_ happened?"

Jackie looked down at her fingers. "Last night," she said softly. "He…" She rubbed her lips together. "He kissed me and… it just happened." Looking up at Hyde, Jackie's face crumbled into remorse. "I'm sorry, Steven."

Watching her, Hyde felt the knot in his chest crawl up into his throat and he quickly swallowed it down. "You slept with him?"

Jackie sucked her lips in, trying to dam back any tears before they even tried to come. "I'm so sorry," she said as a sob skipped off her lips. "I gave you your chance. And you wouldn't take it. Well, he did."

Hyde stood still; he was hearing her but the energy and the life he would need to react was gone. He simply stared into his new oblivion. All of it; all the ideas, all the thoughts and hopes that he had carried into this place had been wiped clean by her in one instant. He had filled himself up with her in the last three weeks, and now something would need to fill the void; something always did.

"Steven…"

Feeling low, feeling dead, Hyde blinked. "Just shut up." He looked up at her again, but this time the image was clearer, even through drunk eyes. She had never been his. She was that voice from his youth, telling him he wasn't good enough, that he was trash, making sure he knew how unwanted he was. It was grit and sand in his mouth. The sound. And the look on her face, it was pained as two tears fell and disappeared. She was a liar, he realized, and for the first time in years, the monster opened its eyes. It pulled in rage and power with its first breath, its energy fueled by Jack Daniels and the passion brought forth by her. It was stronger than him. It beat the hurt down. It killed the sting. And like her memory, it seethed and festered inside him until it erupted and drove his fist into the wall beside her head. "Fuck!"

Jackie flinched and shut her eyes. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, but when she finally opened her eyes, Hyde was gone and Brooke was running up.

"What happened?"

Jackie gasped in a breath. "I told him."

Brooke eyes widened. "Oh, my God. _Here_ , Jackie? Why?!"

Jackie was sobbing uncontrollably. "I…He wouldn't… He kept…I don't know. Why did I listen to you?"

"Shit." Brooke perused the area, excited to see a familiar face exit the men's bathroom. "Eric!" She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close. "Go get Hyde before he starts a fight with Colin!"

"What?"

"Just take him home or something! Go! He went that way! Go!"

Quickly, Eric looked over at Jackie, sobbing, and out into the bar, catching the back of Hyde heading toward the group's table. "Oh, crap." He took off running, dodging and pushing through the crowd, but he knew he wasn't going to make it. "Kelso!" he screamed out and jumped over an empty chair. "Kelso!"

Hyde was getting closer.

A laughing Kelso, who was standing next to the table, talking to Donna, turned around at the sound of his name and saw Eric waving and running through the crowded club. "Kelso!"

He waved back. "Oh, hey, Eric!"

"Stop Hyde!"

"Huh?" Kelso pointed to his ears. "I can't hear you, man! The music! It's rockin'!" Still smiling, he looked straight ahead and saw an image he had seen several times before in his life and his smile fell. "Whoa!" Charging forward in several broad steps, Kelso met up with a determined-eyed Hyde and pushed him backwards toward the bar. "Hey! Hey! What are you doing, man?"

Hyde pushed against him. "I'm kicking his ass! Get out of my way!"

"Wait, who? Colin?"

"Yeah! He's dead!"

"What for?"

Eric ran up and pushed Hyde's shoulder left toward the door. Still confused, Kelso helped Eric push him in that direction as he fought his backward momentum. "Come on, buddy," Eric said soothingly, managing to finally turn his friend around. "Let's go have a talk outside."

"I don't want to talk! I want to kill that motherfucker!"

Kelso frowned. "He didn't do anything, man."

All Hyde could think as they knocked him toward the exit was that Colin was the reason. He was the enemy. He wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe that he hadn't really blown it himself five years before. That he was stuck feeling this way. That she was really no longer an option. There had been a time, he recalled, when he couldn't break her from his side. She wouldn't let go; she wouldn't give up. She was wide-eyed and young and hopeful and trusting and annoyingly in love with him. But that was over now, and it was all his fault. "Fuck!"

Kelso shoved open the club door, and Hyde was shoved out into the rain. He stopped himself and drew in a breath.

"Hyde."

Hyde turned around. "Man, Kelso, if you weren't getting married, your face would be in that pavement right now."

Kelso's shoulders fell as Eric stepped forward carefully.

"What happened, man?"

Hyde held his attention on Kelso, though, having the wherewithal to remember wedding pictures and blushing brides, enough to avoid a scuffle with his friend, but Jackie's words were replaying in his head, the will was fading and the drive to beat on Colin was taking over. "Get out of my way, Kelso."

"No, man," Kelso responded mulishly. "He's my friend, too, and he didn't _do_ anything! You slept with his girlfriend, man. He doesn't even know what the hell's been going on behind his back."

Eric held his arm out to Kelso, keeping his eyes on Hyde. "Kelso, just shut up for a second." He took a step forward. "Hyde, just tell me what happened."

Hyde shook his head and stepped back, turning slightly.

Eric softened his voice. "Did she sleep with him? Is that what happened?"

Hyde kept his eyes on the wet, shining asphalt. He felt like he was somewhere else tonight. Stuck inside the past. Lost in a hotel room. Rolling west on a dark highway.

"Man…" Eric sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry she did that. But you can't blame Colin. She's his girlfriend. He doesn't know he did anything to you, and it's you, Hyde, who screwed _him_ over first."

Hyde looked up, grimacing as he finally breathed. "What the hell, Forman, you're supposed to be on my side."

"We are," Kelso interjected. "But this is my bachelor party, man. I'm lucky I'm still getting married. I don't need this crap right now. You've gotta let this go, man. _Please."_

Hyde swallowed and backed up a few more steps. "Fine," he nodded.

"Where are you going?"

Hyde turned around and began to walk. "To Jess's."

Noticing the drunken stagger of his friend's gait, Eric followed him. "I'll drive you."

"No," Hyde waved him off. "I'm cool, man. I got it."

"Hyde…"

Hyde stopped and looked up to the sky before turning around and placing his hand on Eric's shoulder. "I'm good, man. Really. It's fine. Go have a good time."

"Just let me drive you. I'll feel better."

"It's going to be fine, Forman. Don't worry so much."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." Hyde patted him and turned around, heading straight for his car. He wasn't sure if he would make it all the way to Point Place or to Jessica's apartment. He could barely manage the slick ground beneath his feet, but he had to get the hell away from this place. He had to shake this pain in his chest. He had to numb himself…

Donna burst into the women's bathroom. "What the hell?" She stopped in front of Brooke, who was sitting on a small bench hugging Jackie. "What's wrong with Hyde? What happened?"

Brooke looked up. "Did they fight?"

"Who?"

"Colin and Hyde."

"No," Donna answered. "Kelso and Eric took him outside before he could reach the table."

"So, what's Colin doing?" Brooke asked.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Colin's drunk off his damn ass. He was talking to Fez and Amy; he didn't even notice." She turned her eyes to Jackie. "Why is she crying?" And back to Brooke. "What the hell happened? Why is Hyde wanting to kick Colin's ass all of sudden?"

Finally entering the conversation, Jackie looked up, her face a mess. "I told Steven I slept with Colin."

Donna raised her eyebrows. "Ohhhhh." She winced. "Yeah. That makes more sense." The red head knelt beside Jackie. "Are you alright?"

"No." Jackie tucked her face back against Brooke.

"Well…" Donna, not knowing what to say, addressed Brooke. "I mean, it was bound to happen. Right?"

Brooke recoiled. "Yeah, but it didn't really happen," she explained to Donna.

"What?"

"I didn't really sleep with Colin," Jackie elucidated, raising her head. "I'm not ready. I mean, I will be eventually. He is…" She shrugged, starting to cry again. "…my fiancé. I just…Brooke and I were talking earlier and…it…" She leaned in toward Donna. "I'm in love with him, Donna. With Steven. But he was just going to hurt me again. He would have left me again, when things got tough… Right?"

A little stunned by the seriousness of her friend, Donna shrugged. "I don't know, Jackie." She shook her head. "I just don't know."

"I thought maybe if I told him that I was with Colin, he would give up. It's the one thing he won't forgive. But…"

"Well, it worked," Donna told her. "He's pretty upset." A frown came over her as she recalled the scene, the look on Hyde's face as Kelso pushed him away. "I think you really hurt him, Jackie."

Jackie stared into the floor. "I did?" Donna nodded and Jackie shut her eyes, groaning. "Where is he?"

The redhead stood up and put her hands up, remembering something else. "You know what, it doesn't matter. It's done and over with."

"Yes, it does matter, Donna." Jackie opened her eyes and looked up. "Where is he?"

"He took off."

"Donna! He's drunk; he shouldn't be driving!" She dropped her head back on Brooke's shoulder, her hair hiding her face again as she whined. "God, this is all my fault. He's probably halfway to Vegas by now, the idiot."

"Actually," Donna corrected her with a scrunched face, "he said he was going to Jessica's."

At that, Jackie felt her heart constrict and took in a deep breath to re-energize the tears. "Of course, he is. So he can have his revenge sex." She burst into tears, her shoulders bouncing as she hugged back onto Brooke.

"Jackie," Donna knelt back down. "Look, it's better this way. You did the right thing. She'll take him back, and you can both just pretend this never happened."

"Jackie…" Brooke, understanding what words were needed, whether they were true or not, raised her friend's chin. "He won't enjoy it. Okay? And he won't remember." She shook her head. "He's too angry and too drunk, and too busy thinking about you." As Jackie closed her eyes, Brooke hugged her harder and began to comb through her hair, grateful for the way Donna rested her head on Jackie's back. "I actually feel sorry for Jessica right now. She has no idea. Try not to worry, sweetie. It'll all be over soon. And you'll marry Colin. And you'll have adorable little babies with dark hair and big blue eyes. And you'll forget all about Hyde, just like before. I promise."

Cocooned between her friends, Jackie squeezed her eyes shut and breathed through the sting, wishing she'd never met Steven Hyde...

The stars were gone tonight, hidden above a blanket of clouds, but a bright fall moon peeked through. It was spread out over the sparkling, but otherwise dark, highway, glowing inside the slick road's reflection. Windshield wipers swished back and forth. It had been a long three and a half weeks. It had been a long five years, and an even longer lifetime. He was twenty-five years old. A lot of strange things had happened to him, a lot of strange people, and a lot of disappointment. He was used to it. And as each mile marker passed, he convinced himself that none of it mattered, that it was just another day, just another regret. As another passed, he began to miss her, and then another, and he began to hate her.

He had spent the better of the last ten years partying and hanging out, sleeping with women, and relishing his freedom. But now he was beginning to loathe the idea of being alone. Through all his experience, it was those warm one-on-one nights that he remembered most, a smile beneath the covers, a story about the mall, a kiss goodnight, a laugh. He wanted it all back. He had tried to get it back tonight, but as usual, it wasn't good enough.

After blinking several times to keep his eyes energized for the drive, Hyde found the knob on the radio, determined to wipe the pornographic images from mind. She was their star.

 _I would… die for… you… Tell me if you want me to. You… I would… die for… you…_

Sneering at Prince's voice, Hyde changed the channel, stopping when he heard a few familiar chords begin to play. It didn't take but a second to locate the memory. He turned up the volume.

When I think of those East End lights  
Muggy nights  
The curtains drawn  
In the little room downstairs

 _She_ had played it, his wife.

In Vegas.

He recalled spacing out a lot during his three weeks there, extinguishing his old self completely from the world. It may have been the alcohol; it may have been the weed; it may have been the girl, so vapid and easygoing; or maybe it had been the town. They call it the city of sin, after all. They say that no one goes home without a secret to hide or a mistake to regret, and he would be no different…

 _September 11, 1979_

 _Las Vegas, Nevada_

 _1:37 AM_

 _And it's one more beer  
And I don't hear you anymore..._

 _He was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, letting the smoke and the alcohol take hold of his mind, while Elton John whined in the other room. A moment later, her thin, nearly naked body had appeared in the door frame. She said something that he guessed to be poignant but didn't care enough to ask. He knew, lying there, that he should have been numb from it all, should have been thinking of only the hot blonde sauntering toward him, but instead he felt only bitterness and disillusionment toward the brunette crying 1500 miles away._

 _He felt no guilt as he watched Sam hook her thumbs into the thin straps of her panties and lower them to the floor. As she discarded her last stitch of clothing, she smiled at him and climbed over his body, straddling him knowingly and kissing him so softly. Maybe it was the exhausted expression on his face or the pain that he knew she could see, but she seemed to sense what he needed as she lowered his boxers and took him into her mouth. All without a word. Not one goddamn word. Unlike Jackie, who would have yammered through it all, would have whispered something loving to him, something meaningful about their love. But it was the last thing he wanted; he wanted everything Jackie wasn't—he wanted meaningless, silent head._

 _He wanted the stripper he'd picked up the week before to fuck his pain away._

 _As he stared at the ceiling fan whirring above his head, her warm mouth sucking expertly on his cock, all that ran through his mind was whether or not Jackie had done this to Kelso in that cheap hotel room. The thought made him sick, but he couldn't let it go. He had done it to himself for weeks, tortured himself with the lurid imagery of what she had probably let her ex-boyfriend do to her and what she had done to him while Hyde pondered marriage back in Point Place. Had they laughed at him? Chuckled about what a sucker he was for not knowing, for assuming she missed and loved him?_

 _He would have married her._

 _We've all gone crazy lately  
My friends out there  
Rollin' round the basement floor_

" _C'mere," he muttered, pulling the stripper up and toward him._

" _What's wrong, baby?" she asked._

" _Nothing," he insisted, giving her a tender kiss. Like an angel, she took his answer at face value and straddled herself back over him without another word. After rolling a condom to the base of his whiskey-sick erection, she took him inside her body and began to slowly bounce over him. The feeling was incredible, but after being with one girl for so long, he remembered finding it strange to be with another. Not bad, only strange. And even though he had already fucked this girl at least twenty times in the last week, he still wasn't used to her. Her body was shaped differently, her skin not as smooth, dry from the harsh desert sun, and there wasn't the intimacy that he was used to feeling during sex now, the very thing that made him come so hard with Jackie, made it feel so good all over. That coveted, fucked-up connection he felt when he was inside someone who loved him, who he loved back._

And someone saved my life tonight, sugar bear  
You almost had your hooks in me, didn't you dear?  
You nearly had me roped and tied  
Altar-bound, hypnotized

 _Grabbing a hold of Sam's hips as she began to pant and bounce higher over him, Hyde saw another one of those images of Jackie and Kelso that he couldn't rip from his brain. Her riding him this way, coming, crying his friend's name the way she had cried his. Throwing his head back, Hyde closed his eyes. "Oh, fuck." He could feel Sam's movements becoming erratic and slow; his behavior had probably encouraged her orgasm, and he didn't mind at all as he pulled her down and kissed her hard._

 _He needed release, too, and an escape from that evil bitch who had ripped his heart out. She had loved him, he thought, and he had actually fucking believed it and loved her back. "Fuck," he yelled, slamming Sam's hips down over him furiously. He needed to feel something else besides rage and pain, and nothing else was working. The pressure in his groin broke free inside her as pleasure finally liberated his enslaved brain…_

Sweet freedom whispered in my ear  
You're a butterfly...

For years, it was this point in his memory that always eluded him—the alcohol, the drugs, the hate, everything, a blur. But one bizarre night in 1982, while watching Dynasty with a sleeping brunette, it had surfaced, from out of nowhere. He and Sam had gotten dressed, left her apartment, gotten drunker, and then gotten married. And that had pretty much been it. Hyde reached for the radio knob and pushed his foot further into the gas pedal. That had been it.

And butterflies are free to fly  
Fly away, high away, bye-bye…

* * *

 **Twenty Minutes Later**

 **November 25, 1984**

 **12:26 AM**

In the middle of a movie she had rented, a nearly-asleep Jessica heard a forceful knock at her front door. Concerned, she glanced at the clock. It was past midnight. She didn't move.

Another knock rattled her door. "Jess. It's me."

"Steven?" Jessica flew up from the couch and waited for him to speak again.

"Jess." A dull thud shook the door, his head probably. God, he sounded so unlike himself, and drunk. "I need to talk to you." It was definitely him, though, and unbelievable relief and joy exploded out of her.

Ecstatic, Jessica opened the door. "Steven," she smiled, but it fell quickly. He was standing, soaked and frowning and obviously intoxicated. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Hyde shook his head and stepped inside, never taking his eyes from her as she shut the door and stared expectantly at him. Time was running out. There was a moment to decide, and it was passing swiftly. He was already tired of feeling like shit, like feeling abandoned, and nothing else was going to make him feel better tonight, nothing that was good for him anyway, except her. She loved him. Out of everyone; she loved him most, he decided. She'd never abandoned him, never hurt him. She was warm and soft and clean… and so fucking predictable.

Feeling the need to sooth himself with her, Hyde drove his hands into her hair and kissed her hard. It was frantic and distressed; it searched for comfort inside her mouth. The hurt: she would absorb it; she would take it all away and not ask questions. She was his Sam, with one difference; she loved him and he loved her back. Not the way he should. But the way he could. And for her, that was enough. _He_ was enough. No more, no less.

"Steven," Jessica gasped, but continued to kiss him with a poorly hidden smile. "Baby." She cupped his cheeks. "What are you doing?"

Hyde picked her up and pulled her legs around his waist. "What I should have done last week…"

* * *

Thirty-Eight Miles Away

Disengaging from the blue darkness of her bedroom, Jackie closed her eyes and let her head roll back against her pillow as far as it would go, and as a breath escaped, she focused on the tear that slowly seeped from the outside corner of her left eye and slid coolly into her hair. She was suddenly thankful for the warmth of Colin's lips and for the tender way he used them. There was no aggression behind his movements. No haste. His hands cupped the back of her shoulders, his mouth hot, soothing to her skin, to her breasts. Hugging his head, she tried to focus on the feeling, on the faint noises he made as he breathed and kissed her body.

It was all so painful, though. A silent sob tunneled up her throat and escaped quietly just as his body rose above her and settled between her legs.

"Baby," he nearly whispered.

Jackie opened her eyes and took his face in her hands, not bothering to dry her eyes.

Concern, mixed with disappointment, like a wave, tumbled and crashed over his face. "Please tell me what's wrong."

With a lackluster smile, Jackie touched his cheek. "Nothing," she whispered back and watched him deflate as his weight began to leave her. Quickly, she wrapped her arms around his chest. "No. No. C'mere. I want to." Her hand slid down between them and positioned him to enter her. It all needed to end, once and for all. "I've made you wait long enough." Grabbing his head, Jackie reengaged and forced her body against his, her mouth, her chest, her hips, her heart; she was committed, and he was the one…

* * *

With Jessica in his arms, Hyde stumbled into the master bedroom and set her down on the floor.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered and kissed her again.

Standing in the middle of her bedroom floor, Jessica was overwhelmed with sensations. He was all over her, and acting more passionate than she could ever remember him being. The question of what had happened to him tonight struck her mind over and over through his frantic kisses and his roaming hands, but she decided not to push her luck and just save the questions for later. Other things were rising and taking over as he sucked her in. "God," burst past her lips before she pushed her tongue into his mouth and kissed him. "I missed you so much. You have no idea."

Jessica grabbed his belt and tried to undo the buckle. She was growing frustrated as he whipped off his shirt and peeled off hers.

Taking control, Hyde picked her up and laid her down, wasting no time by simply slipping his fingers inside the waist band of her shorts and pulling off the rest of her clothes. He undressed quickly and climbed back over her, instantly fastening his mouth to hers as she spread her knees to his sides to let him settle himself between.

Hyde raised himself up by his arms and stared at her. The image of Jackie lying beneath Colin hit him hard. "Shit." Hyde closed his eyes. "God damn it."

"What's wrong?"

His eyes still closed, Hyde sucked in a few breaths. "You love me, don't you?" What the fuck had he been thinking. He had her all to himself. She was perfect. Why had he ruined it? Why had he let a pair of leather boots and rose lips distract him? He had been so drunk that night; the memories she had stirred had awoken something, and now he only needed to put them back to sleep.

Below him, Jessica's eyes worried. "You know I do."

He nodded faintly and lowered his lips down to the soft flesh just above her bellybutton and dragged them up to her breasts.

Jessica slipped her hands in his hair and frowned to herself. "Steven," she angled his face toward her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't want to talk, Jess," he said, but at the look on her face he huffed. "After, I promise," and rose up to kiss her again. His hands took hold of her arms and pushed them high above her head. Seeing the position that he had her in, Hyde smirked, the swollen tip of his cock resting against her. He could feel the heat coming off her, humid and welcoming. "Is this what you want?"

Jessica swallowed, not altogether sure she liked the way he was acting, but _he_ was what she wanted, and how could she question what she had been praying for every night. "Yes." She stretched her neck to kiss him, but he backed his head away. "I want _you_ ," she elaborated. "I… Ohhh…God." She squeezed her eyes shut as he pushed himself inside her, not stopping until he bottomed out. Typically, he would ease in and give her body time to adjust, but tonight he immediately began to thrust.

"God, you feel good," Hyde whispered against her mouth, already feeling the comfort of her warm grip. He kissed her and raised his head to watch her but he had no idea it would take his mind away again. Each time he slammed into her, her body rose on the bed, her breasts shook and her eyes clenched shut. Inside, his heart was smarting, though. He didn't want to think that Jackie had enjoyed being fucked by Colin, that she had liked the way someone else felt, the same way he liked how Jessica felt. He could screw without emotion, he reasoned; Jackie couldn't. When she had sex, she put her whole self into it; her body, mind, and heart. He knew it, first hand, and it was killing him that she had given it away to someone who wasn't him, after everything they'd been through.

"Ow! Steven! Stop!" Just as he heard Jessica scream out, he pulled out and came on her stomach.

"Sorry," he breathed out, trying to catch his wind. He swallowed, thirsty as hell, and was beginning to notice that the girl beneath him was upset, near tears. "What? I said I was sorry. I didn't…" He rolled off of her and grabbed his head. "Fuck."

"What…" Tears in her eyes, Jessica abandoned her train of thought and set her eyes on the ceiling. He had been slamming into her so hard, his attention gone. It couldn't have lasted more than a minute. And not one second of it felt good or loving.

A moment later, she felt him leave the bed and looked over as he started to put his jeans back on. "What are you doing?"

"I've gotta get out of here."

"Excuse me?" Jessica pulled her sheets over her and sat up, feeling a knot choke her throat. "You can't just leave."

"I'll call you tomorrow." Hyde grabbed his shirt and shoes and walked out of her bedroom.

Suddenly irate, Jessica jumped off her bed and followed. "You fucking asshole! That's what you came here for? To fuck me?"

"I can't _stay_ , Jess!"

Jessica shook her head. "What the hell is happening to you?" She shoved him hard into the door. "What is wrong with you?"

Hyde turned around and stepped toward her with a firmly pointed finger. "Don't do that again!"

"Is that what I am to you now? A screw?" Losing control of her emotions, Jessica began to sob tears of fury. "Is this what I am to you?!"

"You got what you wanted."

Her jaw dropped. "I did _not_ want this! I wanted my boyfriend back! The nice one! The one who doesn't treat me like a whore!"

"Yeah, well, he's gone." Hyde turned back around and headed for the door again.

Jessica began to sob. "If you leave, I swear to God, we're done. This is not me making empty threats. I don't care how drunk you are." She took a deep breath. "If you leave right now," she said more quietly. "…don't _ever_ come back."

Desolately, Hyde looked at her, just for a moment, and then opened the door and left, bringing Jessica to her knees. Sitting on her calves, she felt her body begin to shake with her tears. Her stomach was still wet from his come, which was beginning to soak through her cover, and she had never in her life felt so used or so unloved. It was rock bottom. It was the edge of pain, the place where life begins to blend with hell.

Feeling sick to her stomach, she stood and ambled into the bathroom to clean up. Tears still flowing freely, she looked in the mirror and dropped her sheet. She wiped herself off quickly, deciding she would shower later and walked back into her bedroom. After throwing on a long t-shirt, she lay back down on her bed and curled into a ball, facing the window as she cried. It was raining again outside, and it was so cold. She had felt the chill come in with him, and it was still here, making her shake as she reached back to search for her blankets.

Her ear caught something, though. A click. A swish. Another click. A bang. It was him. He was back inside her apartment, and she wasn't sure how to react, assuming he simply forgot something. A few seconds later, she heard more noises and realized that he was in the room, somewhere behind her. She heard him walk up and stop at the edge of her bed. She wanted so badly to look but what was left of her self-respect held her eyes on the wall by her side table.

The last noise Jessica heard was the creak of her bed before she finally felt his body crawl onto the mattress and scoot in behind her, his arm hugging her tightly. In her life, there were several indescribable moments. They always came to her when she least expected them and they always hit her differently than she would have ever imagined. Tonight was one of those moments. There was a disingenuous energy in the air. She had felt it the instant the sun abandoned the earth to the night. Tonight. She would have never guessed.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely audible.

Jessica remained silent as he spoke his muffled words into her hair.

"Did I hurt you?"

The way he said it eased her upset mind slightly, and she closed her eyes. "No."

"I didn't come here for that…" She heard him swallow and felt a kiss land at the back of her head. "I need you to forgive me, Jess."

There was a long pause, and she frowned, nearly speaking as she fought the urge to turn around and hug him—of course she would forgive him—but he spoke first, saying what she was least expecting to hear tonight.

"I slept with someone else while you were gone."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Eye of The Storm**

* * *

I know it's hard to keep an open heart  
When even friends seem out to harm you  
But if you could heal the broken heart  
It would, in time, be out to charm you

* * *

 _Late September, 1979_

 _Her legs had taken her far away that night. Farther than they had ever traveled. They were used to it, though, running away, tired from it even, but escape was crucial today. It was spiraling dizzily, her life, spinning so far out of control that her skin would crawl until a chill would confuse her nerves and send her into an even more horrific discomfort._

" _Why are you friends with her?"_

" _You know," Donna said, "I don't know."_

 _The sound of Donna's betrayal made Jackie's face contort as she bolted up the stairs. It wasn't sadness anymore, causing her muscles to constrict; it was a cold sort of fury that was taking over. There had been a fire inside her, ignited at birth. It had burned so brightly, fueled by the kindling of her friends and lovers, but with each passing second, and with every new betrayal, her flames were snuffed and choked of oxygen. She hadn't chosen it; it had chosen her. This cold, cruel path. It was a test, and, like mongrels, they had all turned against her._

 _Jackie slammed Donna's bedroom door shut and backed away. She could hear her 'best friend', and the whore who had stolen her hopes and dreams, laughing and talking about her, and the world as Jackie knew it simply went black._

 _There had been a fire inside and, without kindling, it flickered out without a sound…_

 **… Five Years Later …**

 **Sunday**

 **November 25, 1984**

 **9:53 AM**

There was a tranquility to the day's break. It was beautiful, the way the gray morning light reflected off the glassy ice. Nothing had been spared. The earth was covered, the life inside it still as the dead.

Pressing her forehead to the window, Jessica frowned down at Hyde's iced-over car below. It was resting at a cockeyed angle and taking up two spaces.

Annoyed, she shook her head.

Feeling a chill rush from the center of her chest, Jessica straightened up and squeezed her coffee mug, wiggling herself deeper into her oversized sweatshirt before turning around. Her swollen, brown eyes fell on the sleeping body on her couch, and she watched his naked back rise and fall. The last thing she had expected was for him to open his eyes right then, but he did, as if he knew he was being watched.

Half-asleep still, Hyde sat up. "Hey."

Jessica didn't respond. Instead, she walked over and sat down on the other end of the couch.

"You want me to go?" he asked tentatively. She was quiet, though, and Hyde looked over. "I don't know what to do." He took a much-needed, deep breath. "If I leave you're going to think…"

"Do whatever you want," she responded coldly, watching tremors animate her coffee. "You always do anyway."

Hyde turned his head forward and let out a heavy sigh as Jessica took off for the kitchen. He was in for a shit day, and, like the same dumb ass he'd always been, he had done it to himself…

* * *

 **Thirty-Eight Miles Away**

 **At the Same Time**

Colin tilted his head and watched his fiancé. He'd always found himself attracted to the way her dark hair spilled over the pillow as she slept. She was gorgeous. And she was lying like a thief to him. He would have bet his life on it.

Yawning, and finally removing his suspicious eyes from Jackie, Colin walked toward the bedroom closet. It was a cold morning. The parking lot outside was covered in ice, he noticed as he passed by the frosted window. The temperature had dropped to below freezing. The rain had frozen over. The bed had been cold, like ice, on his skin. Jackie's arms, though, felt even colder.

Colin opened the closet door, praying he forgot one of his sweatshirts here, a flannel shirt, anything. He sifted through the clothes and stopped. A black hooded sweatshirt. He didn't remember it, but he was glad it was here.

Slipping it on, Colin quickly realized it wasn't his. He smelled it with a frown. It smelled like a man.

"Jackie?"

"Huh," she let out sleepily from the bed.

"Whose sweatshirt is this?"

* * *

 **Jessica's Apartment**

 **Later that day**

"GET OUT!"

"No."

Instinct forced Hyde's head down to his chest and he felt the breeze of a hairbrush whipping wildly past the right side of his head and heard it slam into the wall behind him. Hyde grimaced in concern. Had she missed on purpose?

He straightened up and pointed. "Don't be doing that, Jess!" He raised his arm to block his face as _Jessica_ raised her toothbrush with narrowed, furious eyes.

"Then _get_ out!"

Hyde straightened up. "You _really_ want me to go, I'll go!" He waited, staring harshly into her eyes. She was thinking, but not a sound left her lips until she blew out a frustrated growl and stormed past him out of the bathroom.

Hyde sighed and stared, exhausted, into the mirror. Fifteen hours since his confession and he wasn't sure how much more he could take of her anger, but he would not leave. He turned around instead and followed her into the bedroom, where she lay crying on her bed.

He climbed in and laid his head on the pillow. "You can throw whatever the hell you want at me, Jess, I'm not leaving."

"What did I do?" Jessica asked tenaciously. They were facing each other now, and Hyde watched her stare into her own question, searching for some kind of rationalization for what he could not even explain. "I can't think of what I did that you would…" She started to cry harder. "I tell you every day that I love you. I clean your fucking house. I shop for your stupid groceries. I let you do whatever the hell you want." She closed her eyes. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do any…"

She opened her eyes at him and smacked his bare chest. "Nothing! I did _nothing_ but love you!"

"I know!" he yelled back. " _I_ screwed up. Okay? I know that." Carefully, he inched toward her and pulled her into what must have been the tenth hug they had shared since the night before. She pushed against him, but he held tight until she calmed down. And this, while he was holding so much information back. She was devastated. It made him grateful that he had not divulged every detail of what he had done. Jessica had no idea it was Jackie, no idea of his intentions to start a new life with his ex-girlfriend. This was enough. In fact, this was too much for the sensitive blonde. A random, drunken one-night stand; it was all she could stand.

"God," Jessica sobbed quietly, speaking a minute later. "Just tell me it was only once, that you didn't fall in love with someone else."

Hyde blinked slowly, hating himself. "It was only once."

Immediately, he felt a heavy portion of her stress leave her overwrought body, and he felt guilty about lying, but he was finally culpable in her eyes. That was all that mattered. He was guilty. It was up to her now. Forgiveness. No one seemed to have any to spare these days, though. And, so far, Jessica was no different.

But he held her anyway and closed his eyes when she wiggled in, crying into his chest. She would scream at him and then want him to hold her. It was confusing as hell and new, but it was comforting her. It was the suture that held each stage of her grief together. Shock. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Each one had its own bridge to the next. And Jessica, he noticed, could only cross while inside his arms.

Unsure of anything anymore, Hyde hooked his chin over Jessica's head, frowning. For most of his life, he had avoided this type of hassle, and it got him thinking thoughts that beelined straight to Jackie. He could believe all he wanted that he hadn't wanted her back after Vegas, but it was a lie. He had been jaded and lazy, and too scared of not being forgiven. He had avoided THIS. He had nearly left the night before with Jessica, too, not wanting to go through this crap with her either. It was just easier just to walk away, to lie and give up, but something made him stay. Something made him think of Jackie in the midst of it all, made him wonder who had held _her_ when _she_ had cried for him…

* * *

 **The Next Day**

 **Monday**

 **November 26, 1984**

 **3:54 PM**

 **Caroline's Bridal Shop**

"Oh, my God. What did you tell him?"

Jackie held out her arms. "What _could_ I tell him? I lied, Brooke! I told him it was Michael's. That I borrowed it because I was cold. So, I _definitely_ need to get to Michael before Colin does." Her voice faded and became fragmented breath. Her depleted energy offered only enough to keep her standing in this dressing room, covered from head to toe in silk and lace, and staring into the mirror. The contrast of her dark hair set against white was striking. Her collarbone was flawlessly displayed. Her breasts were pushed together, looking incredible. And if she thought another shallow, futile thought, she was going to throw up.

"Jackie, what's the matter?"

Jackie closed her eyes and felt a measured burn.

"Jackie."

The door to the large room swung open. "Is it ever going to stop raining?" Donna, soaked nearly to the bone, shut the door, looking strangely at Brooke. "Why is she in a wedding dress?"

"I'm getting married," Jackie let out callously and opened her eyes. "Or did you forget?"

Donna grimaced. "What's the matter with _you_?"

At that, Jackie spun around to glare at her oldest friend. "Why does everybody keep asking me that? _Nothing_ is the matter with me. I'm fine! In fact, I'm perfect. Look at me!" She swung her dress back around and posed in front of mirror. "How could I not be happy in this dress?"

Cautiously, Donna frowned. "I just figured you already had one picked out since you were, like, five."

Jackie shook her head and studied the lace detail on the bodice of her gown, letting her fingers trace over the slight ridges and curves. "I haven't tried on a wedding dress in years." Donna and Brooke shared a concerned look as she reached over, grabbed the veil she had selected, and placed it on her head. "See." A chill ran up her spine. The _place_ was _freezing_ _._ "Perfect."

Driving Donna's body forward, the door swung open again. "You're not going to believe this," Amy blurted out and stepped inside, shutting the door. "The guys are here."

Donna frowned again, confused. "What guys?"

" _Our_ guys," Amy clarified, giving Donna a sharp grimace. "The same idiots we hang around every day." She gestured at Jackie. "Including Hyde."

"What?" Spinning around, Jackie ran to the door and opened it, just a sliver.

Amy shifted her consideration to Brooke. "You better get out of that dress; Kelso can't see you in it before the wedding. It's bad luck."

Jackie turned around and slapped Amy in the arm. "Tell me that's _not_ Jessica," she growled. "Tell me right now, Amy!"

Amy winced, concerned for her own safety. "It's Jessica."

Dismayed, Jackie fell into the seat behind her. "I can't do this." She shook her head. "I can't…I can't do this." As she sat, and as her friends looked on, Jackie's squinted until her eyes were as puckered as her lips. "I know exactly what that jerk's up to. Why did I do this to myself again?"

"Jackie, it's fine. Just stay in here until he leaves." Brooke turned to Amy. "Why are they even here? They're fitting appointment isn't until tomorrow, and Michael's is already done."

"I don't know," Amy shrugged. "Fez didn't even mention it today when I said I was coming with you guys."

"See," Jackie murmured angrily. "He's here to make out with her in front of me."

"Oh, my God," Donna scoffed, rolling her eyes. "No, he's not, Jackie. Stop being so dramatic. You know, I hate to tell you, but not _everything_ is about _you_." The red head raised her hands, her face laden with disdain. "He takes her everywhere."

Now scowling, Jackie slowly rose to her feet. "What did you say?"

"Donna…" From behind the seething brunette, Brooke swept the side of her hand across her throat in a very distinct message. "Stop it," she mouthed silently.

"What makes you think he wouldn't be, Donna?" Jackie's voice grew more ragged. "That's what he does. He did it to me with that whore wife of his. He did it to me every time he brought another one of his skank girlfriends around. Why are you _always_ taking his side?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side."

Jackie's frown deepened. "Why not? You're supposed to be _my_ best friend! And best friends take each other's side over a man, _Donna_! I _always_ took your side!"

Practically begging to be challenged, Donna raised her eyebrows. "Not always."

Jackie's eyes narrowed.

"Alright." Brooke stepped in between them. "Enough."

"You're a bitch," Jackie pointed at Donna behind Brooke's back. "That's what you are."

Donna's mouth fell open. "Why am _I_ a bitch?"

"You have _never_ once sided with me! Even when Michael left me, you left _with_ him. You didn't even try to stop him. You're selfish."

"Oh, _I'm_ selfish? You, _Jackie_ , are calling _me_ selfish?"

"I'm calling you a bitch, too," Jackie returned the raised eyebrows tauntingly, placing her hand on her hip. "You sided with that Vegas skank," she rumbled, feeling unusually hostile inside. They wanted a selfish bitch; they were going to get one, she decided. She had skated by her pain once before like this and it was high time to begin again. "And him." Her voice wavered and gave out on her, so she turned around to Amy and Brooke. "Either of you two want to take his side, too? Huh? Like my _best_ friend Donna here?"

Both looked down, Brooke shaking her head in indignation, as Donna raised her hands in perplexity. "What did I say?"

Brooke, in response, grabbed Jackie's hand and tried to pull her to the other side of the room. "Jackie…Come sit down. Just stay in here with me. Donna, maybe you should just go out with the guys."

"No. _I'm_ going," Jackie insisted, pulling her hand from Brooke's grasp. "I can't breathe in this damn room." It was true. She was already beginning to feel dizzy. Life was spiraling again, and it was disorienting as hell. "He can screw her all over this white carpet for all I care."

"Jackie," Donna called out and shook her head as her angry friend flung the door open and left. "I don't what's wrong with her lately."

Brooke made a face, "Are you serious," as Jackie walked out into the bridal shop with her chin held high. Her expression hard, she tried to breathe, nearly choking as she looked over Kelso, Fez and Eric, who stood staring strangely at her and her dress.

"Hey, Jackie," Fez said cautiously.

"Why are you in a wedding dress?" Kelso asked her.

Ignoring him, Jackie turned her attention briefly to Hyde. He was sitting in a chair and, right then, looked up at her coldly, or so she interpreted. Beside him was Jessica, who smiled sadly. With a melodramatic flare of obstinacy, Jackie grabbed her dress and spun around to face the large full-length mirror. She could play his game; she could even beat him at it. He couldn't hurt her anymore. None of them could. She felt nothing.

"Wow." Jessica came around her left side. "I _love_ this dress." She smiled and ran her palm over the material at Jackie's side, then lifted the brunette's hand. "Oh, my God. Is this yours?"

"Yep," Jackie answered with feigned exuberance, smiling pompously back at all four watching men, lingering a bit longer on Hyde. "Colin proposed."

Jessica's mouth fell open. "It's beautiful," the blond said. "Congratulations."

Jackie's body froze when Jessica hugged her; she couldn't stop herself from thinking that this was what he felt every day. It was a strange sensation. Jessica was warm and comfortable and her hair smelled lovely. Jackie found herself hugging the girl back tightly, feeling like a monster.

Jessica pulled back, her giant smile falling at Jackie's dismayed expression. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Jackie uttered, shaking her head. "I just…I need to get out of this dress. It's too tight." She raised her dress off the floor and ran back into the dressing room.

"Jess," Hyde called out before the blond could follow. Jessica looked over. "C'mere." She wrinkled her face at him, making him sigh sharply in another defeat. "Please. Would you just c'mere?" He glared over at his friends as they snickered. It was a bad idea bringing her, but he had had no clue that the girls would be here. Kelso never once mentioned it.

He would kill him later.

Jessica walked over mulishly and stopped in front of him, folding her arms. "What?"

"Will you sit down with me." He looked up. "Please. I want to get this done and get out of here."

"I was just talking to Jackie for a second," Jessica argued, still on her feet.

"Why?" he sneered. "You hate her."

"I _don't_ hate her," Jessica insisted, raising the inflection in her voice. "In fact, _I_ kind of like her. We bonded over your cheap, generic beer, _Stripper_ _Marryer_."

"Ooooh." Kelso, Eric and Fez all looked at each other.

"Ouch."

"Delayed ex-ex-girlfriend burn. Nice."

"He's had that one coming."

His eyebrows furrowed, Hyde shot a blistering glare at his friends. "Will you morons _shut up_?" He turned back to Jessica. "What the hell are talking about?"

" _Michael,"_ Brooke called out from the dressing room. _"Come in here!"_

" _Michael's in trouble, too-oo_ ," Fez sang, snickering and making Eric chuckle as Hyde practically dragged a defiantly mute Jessica to the front of the store.

Glaring at his two amused friends, Kelso headed toward his fiancé and closed himself inside the dressing room. He looked around the room and took immediate notice of the vacant, distressed look on his ex-girlfriend's face as she sat on the floor. "What's wrong with Jackie?"

"What do you think, Kelso?" Donna answered. "And why did you bring him here? You guys knew she was going to be here with us."

A little confused, Kelso looked around at all the angry faces. "What? No. Leo's getting released from the hospital tomorrow so Hyde could only do it today and Eric has some biology test. Oh and, hey, he showed me his Biology book. It was way kinky. You need to put the foot down, Donna."

Brooke smacked his arm. "Who's watching our children, Michael?"

"Ow! Christie."

"Michael," Brooke scolded, her jaw dropping. "She's got _cancer_."

Jackie looked up, frowning. " _Michael_ , she's got cancer."

"Well, she's got eyes, too, doesn't she?" Kelso argued. "We're helping her out; she can watch the kids for a few hours!"

Brooke closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Just get Hyde fitted and _get out_ of here before World War III breaks out."

"Okay. But I don't know what everybody's got their panties in a bunch about. Hyde's over it. He's got his own problems with Jessica."

Upon the news, Jackie felt sick, and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Just get rid of him, Michael," Brooke demanded.

"Oh, my God." Jackie got to her feet and rushed over to him, raising her hands gingerly. "I need you to listen to me _very carefully_ , Michael. If you talk to Colin and he asks you about a sweatshirt…"

"Oh, yeah," Kelso nodded. "I told him it wasn't mine."

Jackie's face turned to stone. " _What?"_ She stepped closer. "Michael, tell me you're kidding." She grabbed the scruff of his shirt. "Tell me you're kidding or so help me God…"

"Alright. Alright." Brooke stepped in. "I need to _marry_ him in a few days, _Jackie_ ," she reminded the smaller girl. "Let _go_ of him!" Jackie let go, her glare still fixed hard on him, though. "Thank you."

Kelso looked at the mother of his children, confused and scared. "Was that wrong?"

"Okay." Donna frowned and stepped forward. "OK. So, _what_ exactly did you say to him, Kelso?"

"Wait," Amy stepped up to the conversation, her eyes dancing around inquisitively. "What's the deal with the sweatshirt? I'm lost."

"What did you say?" Brooke repeated, making Kelso more nervous as he looked around at the expectant female faces, hanging on his next words.

"We were just talking," he whined. "I called him about Thanksgiving, and he said Jackie had my sweatshirt, that he would bring it, and I was like, "What sweatshirt?" and he said, "The black one you let Jackie borrow," and I was like, "Nuh-uh!" and then I don't remember what happened after that." He winced, noticing the expression on Jackie's face. "Why is she looking at me like that?"

"Never mind her," Brooke responded. "Just go get Hyde and Eric fitted and go!"

"Fine," Kelso snapped back. "But you broads are acting cuckoo today! And I don't want no part of it!" Gently, though, he kissed his fiancé on her cheek. "Except you, baby. I love you."

"I love you, too. Go…"

Out in the store, Hyde dragged Jessica's obstinate body to the front and stopped. "Who told you about that?"

"So, it's true."

"Yeah, it's true," he snapped back. "Who told you?"

"I'm not telling." Jessica crossed her arms stubbornly. "I promised I wouldn't."

"Damn it, Jess. You _better_ tell me."

"Or _what?"_ she challenged. _"_ What are you going to do?"

Hyde's face fell flat. "Fine," he growled. "You want to test me?" He looked over at his friends. "I'm going to just assume it's… _Kelso_ , and kick his ass right in this store, and _then_ , I'm going to tell Fez that you were making fun of his pants." He waited, returning her challenge with a glare, but she remained tough as a mule. "Alright. If that's how you want it," he said and turned to make good on his threat.

Jessica grabbed him. "Okay, okay." She pointed. "But you have to swear you won't say anything or get mad at the person. You can't tell them that I told you. I promised! And you _better_ tell me everything I want to know!"

Hyde blinked and thought about it. "Fair enough."

"It was Jackie," she admitted hesitantly. "I asked her, and she told me."

"You asked her _what?"_

"Why you two broke up." Hyde grimaced at her response. "What?" Jessica bit. "I had a right to know… And _you_ lied. You said it was because she cheated on you. She didn't, though; did she? It was _you_ _who cheated_ _._ "

"I _thought_ she had, okay? And I know what you're getting at, Jess. I don't make it a habit of cheating."

"You cheated on her twice, Steven."

"Not that it's any of your business, but it was _once_ ," he correctly derisively. "The second chick…Sam…that wasn't cheating."

"Oh, that's right, Sam, the _stripper_ ," she knocked. "I can't believe you were _married_ and you didn't even tell me."

"Yeah…a little…I was married."

Jessica frowned. " _A little_?"

"She already had a husband" he explained, slightly embarrassed. "She was fucking crazy, Jess. I was drunk. I don't even remember the ceremony."

Jessica narrowed her eyes. "There was a _ceremony?_ "

"No?" Hyde took a step back.

"Did you love her?"

"Who?"

"Your _wife!_ "

"No!"

"Who did you think I was talking about?"

"My…the stripper," he staggered. "I knew who you were talking about."

"I can't even get you to tell me how you _feel_ about me, and some," She lowered her voice. "…fucking stripper from Las Vegas got you to _marry_ her?" Jessica stopped there. The question was not meant to be rhetorical. But she wasn't surprised when he chose this moment to be silent. She nodded. "So, is that what you want, Steven? Someone like that? A stripper?"

Scrubbing his tongue along his lower teeth, Hyde shook his head. "I can't believe I'm answering to _you_ over this now. You weren't even around at the time."

"No, I wasn't. Thank God. But it's very telling."

"Telling of _what?"_

"Of _you_ ," she clarified. "If you did that to Jackie, then why wouldn't you do it to me, too? In fact, you did!"

Frustrated, Hyde blew out a breath and paced in front of her for a second, shaking his head. "Christ." He stopped. "That was _five_ years ago, Jess. I was…" Grabbing her arm, he pulled her further away from meddlesome ears and lowered his voice. "Look, I went to Vegas because I was pissed off, okay. I was nineteen. I wasn't thinking… It was a mistake, but I'm not going to apologize to _you_ for something that happened between Jackie and me. I'm just not." He waited, but she just looked at him, unwilling to argue. "Look. I shouldn't have lied to you. Okay? Even though I wasn't _technically_ married, I probably should've just told you about Sam once we got serious."

"Why did you stay with her?"

"It was only a month," he explained, trying to minimize his own guilt, but Jessica's arms refolded themselves, and he knew it was useless. He rolled his eyes, mostly to mask his embarrassment. "I didn't know what else to do…"

* * *

"That's it!" Jackie threw up her arms as Kelso walked out. "It's over. Colin knows."

"You don't know that," Brooke replied. "Just say you forgot and that it's…Kevin's or something."

"And what? Lie some more, Brooke? So that when I finally do tell him what happened, he can remember all those fabulous times that I lied to him like he was some kind of idiot."

"Jackie," Donna cut in. "I actually agree with Brooke on this…Okay, yes, lying is wrong, but telling him at this point is going to do you no good. He's just going to leave you, and you've got Hyde to think about. He hasn't told Jessica. You'll ruin his relationship, too."

"So, it's _him_ you're concerned about?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "No! That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that…"

"Hey." The room went quiet as Jessica poked her head in. "Can I sit in here with you guys? My boyfriend's an ass."

Sharing a brief look with Jackie, Donna waved her in. "Yeah. Join the club."

Jessica stepped in, taking a moment to notice that Jackie was on the floor alone as Amy pulled Donna and Brooke into the corner to have a whisper-fest. Unsure of what was happening, she sat down next to the veiled brunette in front of the mirror, Indian style. "Are they talking about me?" she whispered, referring to the secretive huddle.

"No," Jackie grumbled. "Those bitches are talking about me. I'm in a bad mood." She studied Jessica's shy reflection and took mercy, most of it out of guilt. "Here." Pulling off her veil, Jackie placed it on Jessica's head, waiting as the blond adjusted it worriedly. "No, go ahead. It's fun. I used to do it all the time."

"Do what?"

"On the weekends, I would go to the mall and try on wedding dresses. It made me feel better. Some girls eat and get fat when they're depressed. I tried on wedding dresses. It's a much healthier vice, and plus you don't get fat."

Jessica smiled and wiggled closer, admiring her own reflection. "I've always wanted to try one of these on." She straightened her back and fluffed the veil.

Jackie laughed. "See. Fun."

The blond studied herself a moment and let her smile fall. "God, at this rate, I'm never going to get married." She shook her head and let out a feeble laugh. "I can't even get him to say he cares about me."

Jackie stared at Jessica sympathetically, beginning to see past her own guilt to the person that sat beside her. It would have been so much easier to hate her. But she couldn't. Instead, she wanted to beg her forgiveness, for being too weak, for not letting go of Hyde five years earlier when she should have. "It's not you," Jackie said quietly. "He's always been like that."

Whatever it was that Jackie said hit Jessica's sensibilities, making her eyes water with tears. "He cheated on me," she whispered to Jackie. "He told me a couple days ago…I don't know what to do."

Jackie arrested all movement. For the obvious reasons, she hadn't been expecting this conversation, and she felt her heart blast into her throat. Her first instinct was to flee. "I'm…" Panic started to set in. She wasn't sure yet how to respond. What had he told her? "I…"

"He cheated on you, too, right?" Jessica asked, pulling off the veil. "When you were dating."

Slowly, Jackie nodded, realizing that, for whatever reason, Hyde had decided to confess, but had not decided to take her down with him. "Yeah," she answered timidly. "Once."

"You stayed with him, though."

"No, well…I broke up with him… for a couple months while I figured out what to do, and just to pretty much punish him, but…" Jackie sighed, releasing some of her worry. "It kind of backfired on me."

Jessica frowned. "Oh…Well, did he do it again?"

"Oh, _God_ , no," Jackie laughed. "He knew better than to cheat on _me_ again, and see…" Pausing mid-story, she scooted herself ninety degrees to the right to face her new friend. "He actually thought I had cheated on _him_ first, so he cheated back, like to retaliate, but I _hadn't_ cheated. He's just a big, stupid dummy who sees what he wants and jumps to conclusions."

"Isn't that what happened with the stripper?" Jessica asked, confused.

"Well…" Jackie knit her eyebrows. "Sort of…So… Eh, I guess maybe he didn't learn." It was strange, but telling the tale to someone who, sort of, understood, Jackie smiled. It felt good to share, even with her theoretical adversary.

Jessica sighed and began to shape the trim of Jackie's dress. "I'm sorry to throw this at you, I just… I don't know who to talk to. My sister hates him, and my friends, they don't really like him…"

Jackie nodded. "Yeah, Steven's an acquired taste."

Jessica smiled. "I just feel like if I forgive him, then…I'm a sucker, and he'll think he can do it again. But at the same time, I love him and don't want to lose him. I just wonder, though," Her eyes coated with saline once more. "…why I can't get him to love me back." The blond drew in a shuttered breath, driving Jackie to shake her head. "If he ever will."

"Oh, no, he does," she tried to assure her. "He's just…a complete _bonehead_ ," Jackie scowled. "You have to understand something about Steven, Jessica… He's an idiot! One of the worst I've _ever_ come across in my dealings. He doesn't think. He's just _does_ , like a lab monkey, and not the smart ones that figure stuff out first." Her eyebrows pitched mockingly as she shook her head. "He's the kind that eventually starves and dies… But deep inside, he has all these feelings that he bottles. You just have to _force_ him to show them, like by smacking him or kicking him." Jackie smiled broadly, feeling helpful for the first time today.

Jessica broke out into laughter, pondering as she tilted her head at Jackie. "You know, you don't seem like you're in a bad mood at all."

" _That's_ because _you're_ not irritating the crap out of me like _those_ nosy bitches are." Jackie smiled and grabbed the veil off Jessica's head, planting it on her own. "We need to get you a dress to try on…"

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

Like he was preparing to take-off in flight, Hyde raised his arms, flipping his eyes to the ceiling as a man measured the length of his arms and sides.

Down on the floor beside him, Kelso grimaced. "How could you tell her, man? Without even being caught yet."

"Um, it's called common courtesy, Kelso," Eric cut in. "Like, for example, _'Hey, just so you know, I worship the devil'_ , but see in Hyde's case it's just a slight variation… _'I've been banging Jackie."_ He grinned, causing Hyde to shake his head.

"Will you two keep it down? I'm in enough trouble."

"Oh, I am sure there is much more coming, my screwed friend," Fez snickered.

Kelso shook his head, laughing. "He is so screwed."

"You can put your arms down," the man informed him, continuing to measure when Hyde complied. He stood there tightening his jaw, wondering what in the hell the chicks were talking about. As far as he knew, Jessica wanted to keep his infidelity private; he just hoped it stayed that way. So many things could go wrong, and he was just counting the minutes until this wedding crap was over. Then everybody could go back to ignoring each other for weeks at a time.

He heard the sudden cackle of women bowling over in laughter and looked over to the back of the store just in time to catch his ex and his current girlfriend stumble out, laughing and holding hands, both dressed in wedding gowns. "What the hell?"

All four men watched, speechless while Jackie dragged Jessica toward another rack of dresses.

Eric grinned. "I think I wished for this once for my birthday." He was so happy. The look of horror on Hyde's face was priceless.

"Yes, this is good," Fez agreed and settled in to watch.

"Jess," Hyde whispered harshly, trying to get her attention. "Jess!"

"You might want to speak a little louder," Kelso advised him, bringing Hyde's glare onto himself.

"This is your fault!" Hyde accused.

"How?"

"I don't know yet." At his limit, Hyde inhaled deeply through his nose. _"Jessica!"_

Jessica snapped her head at him. "What?"

"C'mere!"

"No! I'm busy!"

"Ooh," his friends groaned in unison.

Hyde closed his mouth. It wasn't Jessica's defiance, or her little game to make him miserable, that was bothering him as much as it was that when he looked over at Jackie, she smirked like a mischievous imp. He had done his best to push his anger toward her from his mind; he had enough to deal with, but now she was pushing him. Not only had she ditched him and run back to Colin, but now she was fucking with what was left of his own relationship.

"Man, fuck this," Hyde grumbled and turned to the man in front of him. "You done?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good." He looked at his friends. "I'm out of here." Then he turned to Jessica, who wasn't even paying attention anymore. "You want to play dress-up, fine." Angrily, he pointed across the street. "I'm going to eat."

"Ooh, we're going to eat!" Kelso exclaimed happily as all the boys shot to their feet.

"No, _I'm_ going to eat!" Hyde rumbled and walked out of the store.

"Where are we going?" Fez asked. Eric shrugged in response and just followed Hyde out the door.

"Freakin' chicks." Hyde crossed the street, grumbling to himself. They were lunatics. All of them! Now Jackie had Jessica acting like her, playing pretty, pretty wedding princess. What the hell was it that got into Jackie when she was plopped in the middle of wedding crap? It was as if weddings made her crazy, like her dopey little brain was made of nothing but white lace and fluff…

 _February 11, 1979_

" _Steven!"_

 _He had looked up from his magazine with complete indifference. He had been comfortable here, on his fluffy bed, surrounded by a mound of blankets and six frames displaying the same photo of her._

 _Jackie tossed her hands up and let them drop loudly to her sides. "So, you have nothing to say to me?"_

 _He pointed. "Yeah, your shirt's on inside out."_

 _When she growled and stomped her foot, he wanted so badly to smile. Instead, he retained the apathetic expression on his face and returned to his magazine._

 _Charged up, Jackie stalked over. "How could you just leave me there? I opened the door and you were gone!"_

" _Wow. You're observant."_

" _Yeah, well you're a jerk!"_

 _Hyde looked up. "Look! I told you… And you promised! No more wedding crap!"_

" _Donna sent me to dress Eric, Steven! I was simply helping out a friend in a jam."_

" _By trying on a wedding dress?!"_

" _You said I looked beautiful!"_

" _That's not the point!"_

 _That seemed to shut her up for a second because she huffed and pursed her lips. They held each other's stubborn gaze for a moment, but it was Jackie who broke first and sat down dejectedly, tossing up her frustrated hands._

" _We're never going to get married, are we?"_

 _Hyde slapped his magazine shut and dropped his head back, closing his eyes. "Jackie. You're not even out of high school yet." For maybe a minute, he sat there, thinking, beginning to feel bad, and wondered how the hell she had gotten this way, so ready to throw her life away to marriage. "Why are even_ _talking_ _about marriage? We're…" His eyes opening, Hyde was reminded of the genuine look of disenchantment on her face and sighed. "Hey..." She looked back, pouting, making him shake his head in defeat. "Crap. C'mere. Can't we just drop this for now?"_

" _Fine." Jackie scooted back. "But you'll see, Steven," she said, snuggling against him. "One day, you're going to be too late. I'm not going to wait around for you forever, you know." It was a statement that usually meant, and was typically followed by, her exit, but not on that day. She had simply let it go and ended up reading his magazine with him. He had blown it off that day, the argument, tossed it aside as just another illustration of her craziness, actually believing that she would love him and beg for him for eternity. He turned out to be wrong, and, as he was discovering, she was true to her crazy words…_

* * *

 **The Hu-Ki-Lau Restaurant**

 **5:21 PM**

Kelso looked over his menu. "You know, I've always found it amazing that Asian people have pretty much all the same stuff we do, chicken, beef; the Chinese are so advanced."

"Kelso, this is a _Polynesian_ restaurant," Donna corrected from across the table.

Kelso looked beside himself at Fez, who simply shrugged. "Yeah. I'm not…We're… not hearing the difference."

Hyde smiled and leaned across Fez. "Hey, Kelso. You know what I think you'd love," he pointed at his friend's menu. "The 'CumOfSumYungGuy." With his tongue hanging out, he sat back down and chuckled at Eric, who was sitting across from him, between Brooke and Donna.

Searching his menu, Kelso frowned. "Is that beef or chicken?"

Hyde grinned at Eric. "This is way too easy." Eric smiled back. "I almost feel guilty," he added as Jessica, sitting to his right, swatted his arm.

"Ow!"

"Stop being a _jerk,"_ she whispered.

Sulking angrily, Hyde sat back and folded his arms, his eyes immediately falling left to where Jackie sat quietly in the corner next to Donna. _She_ would have laughed at the burn.

"Hey, Donna." Kelso said mockingly. "If this is a Pokanasian restaurant…"

" _POL_ -Y-nesian," Donna pronounced slowly. "Not 'Poke an Asian."

"Yeah, we're still…" Fez pointed to his ear and shook his head. "Yeah, not hearing the difference."

"Anyway, if this place isn't Chinese," Kelso grabbed a cookie from a plate in the center of the table. "…then explain to me why they have fortune cookies, huh."

"You know, I have no idea," Donna replied and grabbed two, handing one to Jackie.

Fez grabbed one, too, and nudged Kelso. "What's yours say?"

Kelso frowned suspiciously. "What's _yours_ say?"

"Dessert can make you happy," Fez read. "I think it is telling me to order the pie."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Oh, for Christ's sake..."

Crossly, Fez pointed at her. "Do not start, woman!"

"Well, mine says, 'Feeding a cow with roses does not get you extra appreciation." Kelso scoffed and threw down the tiny, white piece of paper. "Now, that's a lie. Big Rhonda was a big fan of the roses, am I right, Fez?"

"You better believe it, buddy."

Amy made a face. "Big Rhonda?"

At that, Donna opened her mouth, but Jackie stopped her. "Don't. Just…don't," she laughed.

Hyde grimaced as he read his. "Time to break out of that corner and get that rut unstuck." He threw it down. "Whatever."

"Oh," Donna smiled and read her fortune. "Today, some new connections will be very exciting, indeed."

Jackie opened her cookie. "Lights will guide you home." She sneered. "Well, that's stupid."

"Hey," Donna responded encouragingly, "…it could mean that you're going to hit every green light on the way home." Upon Jackie's unchanging expression of distaste, Donna's face fell. "Yeah, that's lame."

"Yeah, it is," Kelso complained. "I take back what I said, the Chinese have no…" He pulled out a second fortune from another crumbled yellow cookie, derailing his train of thought as he read. "Be aware of the dead. They are all around." A nervous tension washed over his face. "Well, what does that mean?"

"It means you're cursed, Kelso," Eric snickered. "Watch out for ghosts. Ooooh…"

Kelso frowned. "That's not funny, man. Sometimes I think maybe I am." He looked around the table at the unconcerned faces of his friends. "Ever since the ghost of the third-class corridor touched my shoulder, I've been having bad luck. She hates men, remember!"

"The ghost of what?" Jessica asked, confused.

Donna rolled her eyes. "That stupid haunted boat we went to on Halloween... well, there was this 'ghost lady," she laughed, "and she grabbed Kelso. He totally freaked out and ran away screaming."

"She grabbed me, too," Hyde remembered, a disquieted expression on his face. "She was freaky, man."

"See! You're cursed, too," Kelso pointed. "Your store fell down, Leo got hurt, and…other stuff," he trailed off at the warning glare Hyde gave him. "We're cursed, man!"

"Oh, Kelso," Fez shook his head. "You are not cursed. In my country, when you are cursed, you know it."

"But I know it, man!" Kelso whined.

"Oh," Fez frowned with concern. "Well, then too bad for you."

As the conversation continued and morphed into a muffled hum, Jackie sat in pause, still waiting like an animal being hunted. Her mind was locked and convinced. He was cruel, under his skin a monster. Any minute now he was going to lay the final blow. Any second his alcohol-stung lips were going to land on the girl beside him, his hands were going to roam and squeeze her flesh, and from five feet away, tear her heart out. She was waiting for it; she was ready because it was just what happened when his love soured.

Jackie glanced left again to where Hyde and Jessica were seated. They were merely sitting there, like a couple of bored dogs in the summer heat, Jessica playing with her napkin, Hyde pouting, occasionally stealing a peek at Jackie.

During one of his awkward glances, Jackie nervously looked away and laid her eyes on another maddening couple she'd been watching. What was it about strangers and their kissy faces, their happy, sloppy, stupid pieholes when she was locked in one of these moods? Jackie snorted like a bull. They all made her sick. Who makes out at a restaurant bar in front of people? What a _skank._

Shifting in her chair, Jackie flipped her eyes away haughtily, but quickly excused herself to peek back over. It was the lure, the curiosity of utter disgust; that was all. Like a car wreck or porn. The happy woman and her boyfriend—she guessed since there was no ring between them—smiled and giggled against each other's lips. It was nauseating. She would have bet her life that Mr. Kissy Mouth hadn't brought home a stripper or a whore in a leather jacket, reeking like a cheap nurse. Nope. Jackie looked away again. Mrs. Kissy Mouth had no idea. Most likely, lewd images of Mr. Kissy Mouth had not haunted her to sleep for two years.

Jackie scowled at herself, remembering the things she had let her mind manifest in the throes of pain.

Utter disgust. That was all.

"Jackie."

"Hm?" Irritably, she looked to her left at Donna, unable to stop her eyes from landing on Hyde and his strawberry-blond companion along the way. They were the anti-Mr.-and-Mrs.-Kissy-Mouth, sitting there in silence, miles away from each other.

Donna pointed at the waitress who stood, waiting. "It's time to order."

"Oh," Jackie thought it over. "Nothing. I'm not hungry." A few nervous rubs of her thighs and she stood up, practically ignored except for the blue eyes that looked up. Jackie swatted Donna's shoulder. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom," she whispered smartly and strutted away, sneering at Mr. Kissy Mouth along the way. Whatever made her stick her tongue out at him hatefully retreated quickly, though, because when Mrs. Kissy Mouth turned her head, Jackie began to run…

* * *

A Couple of Minutes Later

Hyde leaned into Jessica's ear. "Hey, I'll be right back." She simply nodded in acknowledgment, her attention and gaze still in conversation with Amy.

Sparing not another second, Hyde stood up and left the table, taking notice of a couple as he passed the bar, cooing and kissing like a pair of morons in love. Disgust surged through him and settled in his face, where he did little to veil the emotion. People made him sick sometimes. Why the hell did they think others wanted to see that crap?

"What are you looking at?" he lashed out when Mr. Kissy Mouth noticed him scrutinizing, and kept walking.

As he reached a doorway, he pinched the flesh between his eyes. He was exhausted, and the thought of getting into bed sweetened his soured expression when he turned the corner and ran right into Jackie in the dark hallway.

They made eye contact, but Hyde swiftly grew uncomfortable and moved his gaze down to the right. The fact that she was back here came of no surprise. In fact, part of him had hoped this would happen.

A step away, Jackie stared squarely at Hyde with no discomfort whatsoever. She was prepared for his cruelty. It wasn't a question of _if_ to her; it was _when_ , _how_ , he would dish it out tonight. He wouldn't even look at her, however his lips, usually parted and inviting, tightened suddenly and she stopped breathing, her heart bracing itself for the hit as pride rose to fight.

"Go ahead, Steven," she rumbled hunting his eyes down with her own. "Say whatever you're going to say, call me a skank or a whore, and just get it over with." As Hyde watched her, Jackie posed mightily: hands on hips, chest out. "I'm waiting." Her voice, however, did not match her body's fearless stance; it was shaking like a dry leaf in the wind.

"I don't have anything to say, Jackie."

"Oh," Jackie huffed, the area around her mouth beginning to fidget noticeably. "Of course. You're going to act like you don't care. Shocker." Her jaw tensed. "You know, that's exactly why I did what I did."

"What are you talking about?" Hyde asked.

"You ran straight to Jessica," Jackie accused bitterly. "The second something went wrong. I knew you would. You probably screwed her that first night, didn't you?"

Out of confusion, Hyde scowled. _She_ was pissed. Her chest was heaving with her anger, and, for a moment, he felt guilt begin to nip at him and wondered if he had screwed things up again. But he shook his head. "No," he said, his confidence growing with each passing second. "No. You can't blame this one on me. You messed up this time. You don't get to be mad about this."

"Oh, I can be mad about whatever I want, Steven," Jackie snapped, her voice rising. "As a woman, that's my right."

"You're crazy, you know that?" Hyde sneered.

"And you don't care about me at all, Steven, so what does it matter?"

His eyebrows furrowing in thought, Hyde tilted his head at her. For the first time in their entire relationship, he had come at her without blinding anger, he had considered her feelings, and his mind was clearer than it had ever been. "You _want_ me to be jerk to you," he decided curiously.

 _"_ _What?"_ Jackie spat

Hyde nodded, his gaze filling up with the excitement of epiphany. "Yeah. You _want_ me to treat you like crap, so you can blame me for this whole mess and feel guilt-free about what you did."

"What? No," she refuted outright. "That's ridiculous."

"Well," Hyde said as he stepped around her to leave, "you can forget it, 'cause I'm not going to be a jerk to you. This one's on you, babe."

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

Showing Brooke two tiny clenched fists, Jackie growled deep in her throat. Her body was overflowing with angry vigor and she began to pace the small lobby. "I knew he was going to act he didn't care. You know," Jackie turned and stopped, her finger pointed at Donna, "he hasn't changed one bit. He's the same old _Zen jerk_ he always was."

Donna raised her eyebrows, her expression bordering on apathetic. "So, what did Hyde do this time?"

"Oh," Jackie laughed mockingly. "He…" She hesitated. "…is…well...let me tell you…He's saying this whole stupid mess is _my_ fault."

"What is?" Brooke asked with little enthusiasm.

Jackie squinted to think and opened her mouth halfway through a change of thought. "I don't exactly know."

"Mm," Brooke nodded. "So, wait, what did he do?"

"He said he _won't_ be a jerk to me," Jackie huffed, her eyebrows curving scornfully. " _What_ a jerk." She narrowed her eyes. "Oh, he is _so_ doing this out of spite."

Donna and Brooke looked at each other. "Wait," Donna frowned. "You're mad at him because he won't be a jerk to you?"

Jackie pursed her lips. "Donna, are you even listening?" She turned to Brooke, "It's like I'm talking to a brick wall," and walked away without warning. "I'm going home."

Donna flipped her palms up. "What did I say this time?"

The answer to that question came in the form of a shrug as both women confusedly watched their friend strut away with the arrogance of an aristocrat and the mindset of a lunatic in love.

* * *

Forty Minutes Later

Hearing his name called, Hyde stood up from the table and dropped some money on the table. "We're going to get out of here." He looked right and noted Jessica's worn face before turning to his friends. "I'll see you dipshits at the wedding."

Tipsy on Mai-Tais, Eric pointed at him. "Don't forget about Thanksgiving, man."

"Oh, yeah." Hyde smirked. "Laurie's home. Should be a hoot."

"We'll be ready for her."

Nodding, Hyde turned and caught up with Jessica, grabbing her hand as they walked out.

"You want to come over?" he asked her lackadaisically.

"Not really," Jessica responded. "But _you_ can come over if you want to. I guess."

Tucking his lips into his mouth, Hyde nodded. "Yeah, OK…"

* * *

 **A Couple of Hours Later**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **7:04 PM**

If there was one thing she excelled at, Jackie was realizing, it was sneaking around. Covertly, she peeked out her bedroom door at the back of Colin's head, pleased with the deep echelon of his laughter as he sat on the couch. It was seven o'clock, and his favorite show, Three's Company, was on. It was very convenient; that was all.

Cringing in worry, she closed the door carefully and waited, listening for his footsteps, but she only heard genuine chuckles of amusement. Satisfied that she cleared for a go, Jackie skulked quickly over to her closet and reached for the doorknob…

 _October, 1979_

 _Face to face with the Forman basement door, Jackie topped her lungs with the crisp fall air and turned the knob. Ever since the new, and rather trampy, addition to the group, it was like stepping into enemy territory. This place had changed, and she wasn't welcome. She knew it, could feel it, like in years before. It was impossible to ignore the resentment and hate that loitered heavily in the air here. Even the stale aroma of weed seemed hostile toward her, but this expedition into the devil's den today wasn't for her; it was for someone else, someone special._

 _Watchfully, Jackie stepped inside; she was told no one would be home. It was ideal, to be sure, but, unfortunately, the inside tip had been wrong. To her disappointment, Hyde sat watching TV from the couch._

 _He looked over. "What do_ _you_ _want?"_

 _Masking all sentiment, Jackie raised a finger toward the back of the basement. "I left something in your room; I need to get it."_

" _I threw all your crap out." He shifted in his seat and returned his head forward, acting like she was no more than a fly in the room, bothering him. "And what I didn't throw out, Sam burned."_

" _It was hidden," she added bitterly, wondering if he would figure it out._

 _Contemptibly, Hyde looked back over. "What is it?"_

" _None of your business."_

" _It's in_ _my_ _room." When it became clear that neither was going to yield to the other, Hyde crossed his arms over his chest and moved his eyes back to the television. "Whatever. Just make it fast. I have things to do."_

 _Jackie turned on her heel, but stopped cold, wearing a sneer of repugnance and harboring a single revolting thought. "There's not, like, mucky stripper sex things everywhere; is there?"_

" _Might be."_

 _Jackie's eyes thinned into razor-sharp slits. "You're a pig," she muttered as a chill stung her chest and back, but she shook it off and managed to throw him another dirty look before storming toward the back room, a place she hadn't been nearly six weeks. The dread of what it held had been churning in her gut all day, so when she got inside, she stopped to look around and take inventory._

 _The air was thick with the scent of cheap perfume, somewhat akin to Donna's house the day after her 'Girl's night' with Sam._

 _Same bed, same linens, same everything, Jackie noticed, minus her own pictures and the fact that everything now had the whore's mark on it. His dresser, the one she had given him, had a bevy of gaudy make-up products on it, and in the corner, on a chair she had also given him, sat a folded pile of tasteless stripper costumes that threatened to purge the chicken sandwich she'd eaten for lunch. Another chill arrived, carrying with it a thought. Sam probably wore them for him, and that pig probably liked it, probably went on about how his prudish ex-girlfriend would never wear outfits like that for him. Jackie blinked a tear away; she had refused, only agreeing to wear things she thought classy women wore. Who could know that it wasn't at all what he wanted._

" _Hurry up!"_

" _I'm looking! You mutt," she mumbled and pinched her face up in disgust. Just get in and get out, she told herself, before she could start to cry and give him more ammunition. Getting down on her knees, Jackie looked under the bed and reached up, feeling her way around the wooden slats. "It better be here." Relief struck her when she felt the soft material of her cheerleading skirt and continued feeling for the top. When she found it, she smiled and pulled it out, shaking off the dust._

 _Hugging the green and white uniform to her chest, Jackie stood up and looked around. Briefly, she wondered if he had really thrown away her things, her pictures and their game of chess, long since left unfinished. She worried that maybe Sam finished it with him and then brushed the thought aside; that trash couldn't finish a bottle of penicillin if she tried._

 _Jackie brought the uniform to her nose. It still smelled like detergent. She had always kept it ready for him, for when he was in a playful mood, but now she only felt foolish. Seeing Sam's elaborate, albeit tacky, sex attire, her own seemed childish and dull in comparison._

" _You almost done?!"_

" _Yes," Jackie shouted out angrily and ran over to his milk crate full of records. Keeping an eye on the door, she grabbed Led Zeppelin III, stuffed it into the rear of her pants behind her coat, and inelegantly walked out._

 _With well-placed suspicion, Hyde watched her every clumsy move toward the door. "What are you up to? What'd you take?"_

" _The only sanitary thing in that disgusting room," she scoffed._

" _What?"_

 _Jackie held out her Point Place Vikings uniform, spurring him to sit back in his seat upon the sight of it._

 _She was surprised to see his expression soften. "Oh." Hyde looked back at the television, appearing disconcerted. "Yeah, I didn't throw that out."_

 _After studying his profile briefly—trying to find the man she once knew—Jackie chose not to respond and walked out, taking the stairs as fast as she could. He wasn't there, but at least her uniform was safe. Steven, wherever he was, would have practically cried if she had let anything happen to it. He always seemed to loved it, and so she loved it, too._

 _Smiling, Jackie hugged it to her chest and pranced down the driveway. She had rescued it for him because it was theirs; it was a secret they kept together. It was the last good memory to be salvaged as everything around her crumbled and went to hell. It was big smiles, belly laughs, wild kisses, and bear hugs; it was everything that a beaten girl would need to one day remember…_

Smiling dreamily, Jackie traced the 'P' on her old cheerleading top and wriggled down onto her belly, bringing her head to rest on the carpet. The mildly faded green and white fabric smelled of cardboard box and regret. Why hadn't she shown it to him and asked? She wanted to know, had _always_ wanted to know, why he had not thrown it out—why, through all of his anger, he felt the mercy to save this one thing.

Feeling lethargic, Jackie bunched the material under her head and closed her eyes. Fantasies of Hyde pining for her began to trickle into her mind—him crying into her uniform, him writing a dramatic letter, professing his abiding love as the woeful voice of a heartbroken country singer echoed softly in the background. She couldn't help but sigh as she snuggled into her absurd reverie. If only.

"Hey."

 _Shit!_ Panicked, Jackie opened her eyes. "Oh. Hey!" She sat up.

Colin stepped further into the room. "What are you doing," he asked, peering into the box she had obviously pulled from the closet. He had never seen it before.

"Oh," Jackie started tossing everything back in: pictures, a faded Zeppelin t-shirt, her uniform, a stack of ticket stubs, a ball of tinfoil.

"What is all that?" He reached in and picked up the cheer skirt, holding it in front himself before taking a seat on the bed. "Is this yours?"

Jackie kicked the box into the closet and shut the door. "Um, yeah." She ambled over, grateful for his one-track male mind. "That's my old cheerleading uniform," she smiled proudly and sat down beside him. "I told you I was a cheerleader."

He grinned, admiring the tiny skirt. "A pretty fuckin' sexy cheerleader, I'll bet."

"Yeah," Jackie agreed wholeheartedly, nodding her head. "I was _definitely_ the cutest one. I won an award for _Cutest Cheerleader_ and everything."

Colin looked at every feature on her face and gave her a slight, but undoubtedly amorous, smile. "Put it on." Jackie smiled back as his face took on a lascivious grin. "Please," he added for good measure.

Jackie laughed and shook her head. "No, no, no."

Colin feigned anger. "Oh, come on. I'll take it right off," he pledged and leaned in to kiss her neck, but Jackie swatted him away, gasping playfully.

"You _cannot_ taint my cheerleading uniform with sex."

"Why not?"

"Because it's pure," she explained in a haughty tone and pilfered the skirt from him. "And I want it to stay that way."

Losing interest in the skirt quickly, Colin stole it back and tossed it to the floor, leaving Jackie grateful as he coaxed her onto her back and lay above her. He'd forgotten about the sweatshirt already, forgotten about the box, and she was realizing that it was time she did the same. No more taking it out, she swore to herself the moment her fiancé sealed his mouth over hers and kissed her deeply. All that box ever did, in all its time, was sadden her, and after five years, the things inside had gotten her no nearer to closure than she had been the day Mrs. Forman opened that front door and let in Hyde's demons. That box, Jackie knew as she hugged Colin tightly, was full of only ghosts. _This_ was real.

* * *

 **Tuesday**

 **November 27, 1984**

 **1:30 in the afternoon**

 **Westinghouse Family Planning Clinic**

Together, as planned, Kelso, Brooke and a pale Christie all walked inside the clinic they had been in the week before, quietly, nervously. Kelso sat down as the two girls walked up to the counter.

It was surreal, Brooke noticed when Christie requested the results of her son's paternity test. She wasn't sure what she wanted the outcome to be. There was something special about being the mother of his children, the only one; it set her apart from the rest. Another part of her, though, felt for Christie, who seemed to be after nothing more than her child's happiness. And he was a cute little boy; he and Bradley were getting along famously, relishing together in torturing poor Betsy.

The nurse behind the counter walked back over with a chart in her hands. "The results are 0.014 percent that Mr. Kelso is the father."

Her face saddening, Christie looked lost. "Wait does that mean?"

"It means he's not the father," the nurse explained. As the woman walked away, Christie fell silently into desolation, not saying a word and not bothering to wipe away the two tears that dropped down her cheeks.

Brooke looked back at Kelso, who was not celebrating either. She realized instantly that part of her was glad he wasn't. Did that make her a monster, she wondered. "Christie…"

"I'm really sorry," Christie cried. "I almost broke up your wedding for nothing. I'm so sorry I put you all through this." With that, she ran out. Hesitating only a moment, Brooke followed her out the door and felt Kelso meet up next to her.

"What do we do?" he asked her.

"I don't know. Where'd she go?"

Kelso shook his head as they both scanned the crowded parking lot.

* * *

 **Two Hours Later**

 **Kenosha Medical Center**

 **3:47 PM**

Walking through the lobby of the hospital he'd avoided for the past few days, Hyde thought back to the night that had gotten his friend to this place in his life. Four heart attacks, three broken ribs, a broken wrist, a gash the size the Grand Canyon above his right temple, cuts and bruises; all that and Hyde couldn't remember a single complaint about it from the man. No griping or bitching or moaning or going on about how unfair and shitty the world was. Only concerns of his son had ever embittered his tattered face.

Hyde reached the main hallway and told himself to be grateful that it turned out alright for Leo. He wasn't ready to let go of the old man just yet.

As he continued walking, he noticed a familiar face and stopped. "Kelso," he called out and met up with his friend in the middle of the hallway. "What are you doing here?"

"Man…" Kelso looked beaten. "She wasn't lying, Hyde. She's sick. Like, for real."

"Who?"

"Christie." Taking a step back to walk away, obviously unsettled, Kelso shook his head. "I've gotta go, man. I'll talk to you later."

Hyde watched his friend head in the other direction, taking notice of the mope in his step. This was crap. Maybe he had been right. They were all cursed. Turning away, he continued toward his destination, quickly finding the elevators to Leo's floor. Back at his apartment, the second bedroom was furnished with a bed and a small dresser that the Formans had kept from his old room, some sheets and blankets included. Jessica had even agreed to start coming back over to his place a few times a week to check on Leo when he was at his new Grooves location that W.B. had set up for him.

He smiled feebly at the nurse as he passed by the nurse's station and turned into Leo's room. "Hey, man."

Leo looked up from his bed. He was just sitting there, reading his Mad Libs, looking so much better—frail but alive. "Hyde!"

"Man, you look good," Hyde greeted him.

"I do, huh."

Stepping up to his friend, Hyde grinned and nodded. "Well, hey. The doc cleared you to go home…I, uh, I'm going to let you stay with me, okay? I've got a room a set up for you and everything… It's just going to be you and me, man." Hyde smiled.

"Oh, no. I have to wait here," Leo said, growing excited. "David's going to come pick me up, man. I'm going to stay with him."

Hyde frowned. "David?"

"Yeah, my son…He'll be here any minute."

"Yeah, Leo…" Hyde shifted his weight uneasily. "Look, man, I've been meaning to talk to you about that… I saw David."

"Yeah, I know." Leo, becoming distracted by his Mad Libs, sat back against the headboard. "He's a good-lookin' kid, huh?"

"Yeah, Leo, but he wasn't really…"

" _Hyde, right?"_

Startled, Hyde turned around and froze briefly at the sight of the man he had met in Green Bay, two weeks before. "Hey, what's up, man?" he asked, shaking David's hand.

David gestured Hyde to walk with him out of the room. "I thought about what you said," David said once they were alone. "Well, that, and my girlfriend wouldn't stop nagging me," he laughed when they both stepped out into the hall. "I decided to come see him, like you asked."

"Oh." Hyde glanced over at Leo; he hadn't been delusional after all. "That's…That's _great_ , man."

"Yeah, we've been hanging out." David smirked over at his dad. "He's a pretty cool guy, actually. Not all there all the time, but…"

Nodding, Hyde laughed. "Yeah, Leo's um… special. He's a really great guy, though."

David returned the action as a woman walked up and smiled. "Yeah. You know, I figured if my mom wanted me to get to know him, then maybe he wasn't so bad. I don't know…Oh, this is Lola, my girlfriend."

Lola smiled at Hyde. "Hi."

"Hey." Hyde shook her hand. "So, he's, um, going to stay with you guys?"

"Yeah. We're going to try it out." David shrugged. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"That's..." Hyde shook his head. "That's _really_ great." He looked over at Leo, who waited anxiously at the edge of his bed, and smiled. "He looks happy, man." David and his girlfriend smiled, too, and put their arms around each other, and Hyde realized something, sending his features into thoughtful peace. "Do you guys mind if I talk to him for a minute before you go."

"Oh, yeah. Go ahead. We'll be out here."

Hyde nodded and waited for them to stroll off before walking back into Leo's room. "Hey, man."

"Did they tell you about my room?" Leo asked elatedly. "I'm going to have my own bed and a color TV."

"Oh, yeah?" Hyde smiled. "That's great, man. Now you won't have to get mad when you can't tell which Care Bear is which."

"Yeah." Leo looked up at Hyde and smiled. "My son's not mad at me anymore, Hyde. It's so cool, man. We're going to be a family again. It's like God dropped your roof on my head for a reason." He looked down thoughtfully. "It was like fate, you know?" Leo shook his head. "Far out, man."

"Yep." Hyde smiled and also looked down, finding himself happy for Leo, but a little bummed, too, that his friend would be moving so far away. He had been looking forward to having him as a roommate. It sucked living alone. "Hey, if, uh, you need anything, you know where I am. Okay?"

"Oh, I always remember where _you_ are, man." Slowly, Leo stood up and grabbed a small plastic bag from the bed. "You're my family."

Hyde nodded. "That's right," he agreed and put his arm around Leo. "Come on. Let's get the hell out of this place. It reeks."

"Yeah, but the nurses are va-va-voom! Oh, hey," He stopped walking and looked around guardedly, "if a lady in white ever asks you if you want a sponge bath, say yes, man."

Hyde grinned. "I'll remember to do that, Leo. Come on…"

* * *

 **That Night**

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **10:35 PM**

Her hands flat against the cold glass of her window, Jackie looked up at the dark night sky. It was so clear out tonight. Not a drop of rain. The temperature had frozen it all in its resting place, stopping it where it flowed, like a fountain in pause, and now every star in Wisconsin sparkled like crystal. He was out there somewhere, with someone else. But Jackie knew she had no right to be angry. She had been given all the knowledge there was to know, granted all the words, blessed with all the chances; even his heart had been laid out like blanket for her, but like the water outside, she was frozen.

"Hi, baby." Strong hands slid around her waist from behind, and Colin's arms closed around her.

Jackie closed her eyes. "Hi." She felt his soft lips on her neck, felt the heat of his breath, and smiled.

"Come to bed with me." His voice was so sexy. Opening her eyes, Jackie looked over the icy parking lot, and hugged his arms.

"Colin?"

He kissed her bare shoulder. "Hm?"

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"I don't know." His attention lacking, Colin continued to direct most of his attention to her neck and shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Jackie stared outside. "Did you know, when you first saw me, that you could love me?"

"Yes."

Jackie smiled, closing her eyes again as he pinched his arms tighter around her, hugging her like a glove. "You're such a liar," she giggled.

"Maybe," he confessed smoothly, giving her another kiss. "But I knew you were beautiful."

Turning her eyes back to the night sky, Jackie silently cursed the entire universe. This was beautiful. It should have been magical, the way this man loved her. And it was, but at all times, and with every moment like this, memories of another man, like warm water, flowed through her like a stream, washing her further and further away, melting her into him. But where it carried her, she had no clue. She just wished the feeling would go away already and leave her be.

* * *

Out There Somewhere

Jessica struck a match and flame burst free, lighting up her dark living room with a hiss. On her tiny fireplace mantle, she lit three amber colored candles and one orange. They were scented like the fall and warmed the otherwise cold room with a seasoned glow. There was not much here to warm anymore, though, and she knew it.

Turning her eyes to the mirror that hung above the fireplace, Jessica stared at her candlelit reflection, asking herself how far she was willing to go for him, wondering when she had become this girl. Over her left shoulder, his reflection was somber. He was slouched on her couch, his head down, and she wondered what he was thinking about, but she knew he would never tell her. It just wasn't his style.

Jessica spun around, taking a slow look out her window as she passed it. Everything was frozen and the chill was reaching inside to them, to him. She looked on her couch as she rounded it. He seemed just as frozen.

Stepping in front of Hyde, Jessica placed her hands on his knees and knelt, making him finally look at her.

She studied him a while before speaking. "What are we going to do?"

He stared at her, jaded. "I don't know."

Jessica took her gaze away. It hurt so much right now, her heart. In fact, he was making her whole body ache now instead of smile, the way it used to. Frustrated, she closed her eyes and rolled her neck back, stopping when she felt his arms wrap around her and pull her in. They felt different, and when he placed his lips at the base of her throat, she realized _they_ felt different, too. Tainted. Used. She just couldn't stop imagining them on someone else, but she hugged him back anyway. She would never let him go.

* * *

 **The Next Day**

 **Wednesday**

 **November 28, 1984**

 **5:21 PM**

Little rattled him, especially after the things he had seen in his life, but Colin stood today, perfectly still, in the middle of his fiancé's kitchen, his insides ablaze.

He heard the front door open and looked up.

"Hey," Jackie greeted him with a smile, watching him as Colin slowly made his way toward her. He gave no response, only studied her as he closed in. He'd only looked away for a moment, hadn't he? Three weeks. But she had changed. She was a butterfly, reverted to moth. And now maybe he knew why.

Colin raised his hand. "What's this?" he asked her in a low, gritty tone.

He watched her look at the manila envelope and swallow. It was recognized immediately. He remained impervious, though, as she dropped her purse to the floor and her keys on the small table nearby, acting as if this were any other day.

"What is this, Jackie?" he repeated.

"I don't know," Jackie snapped. "What is it?"

"Pictures," Colin replied, conscious of her lie. Never disconnecting his belligerent gaze from her, he stuck his hand inside the envelope and pulled out a stack of Polaroid pictures. "Time-stamp says they were taken two weeks ago. What the fuck are they?"

"Oh…" Jackie's expression changed. "Those."

"Yeah, _these_ ," he repeated with scorn. "What the fuck are they, Jackie?" The room grew silent, including Jackie. Excuses and explanations, all the words she had been practicing, fled from her brain like cowards. Only the sound of the muscles in her neck flexing into a swallow, making her ears crackle, remained while confession waited in her lungs; it was rumbling deep in her chest, craving release. "Answer me!" he demanded, growing more irritated with her nervous silence. Colin threw the first picture to the floor. "Alright!" He sifted through a few more and pulled one out to show her. "This one. This is Chicago. You know how I know? The tiny Sears Tower in the distance," he grumbled. "You know what else I see?"

"You went through my things," Jackie complained meekly.

" _You_ …" he continued, ignoring her attempt at distraction, "…and _Hyde_. Should I keep going?"

Her mouth turned down in distress. "I was going to tell you. I swear."

Colin shut his eyes. "Tell me _what?_ " He opened them again, obviously fighting to stay calm. "Why is he in these pictures, Jackie? You spent the night in Chicago, you told me."

"I…" Jackie drew in a breath, too, causing the taste of rotted guilt to coat the inside of her mouth and throat. She felt like a lying child. "Yes, I did, but…Look…Let's just _sit_ , and I'll explain."

"I don't want to sit, Jackie. I want _you_ to start talking."

"Fine," she whispered, trying to collect her wits. "You're always telling me," She gulped involuntarily. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. "…to take someone with me to those conventions, for safety, and you weren't here, and Kevin had to…"

"So, you took _Hyde_?" he asked with contempt.

Jackie looked down. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because there was no one else and…I saw him at the hospital when Leo got hurt," she spilled out easily in her impromptu performance, using the truth to form a platonic story, but the lie was stabbing at her like a knife. "On the way home from the convention, his van broke down. It got a flat in the middle of this really bad neighborhood and… there were these guys, and we ended up finding this _bar,"_ she cringed. God, that sounded bad." …with these really nice people, and there was a motel, so we stayed there…"

He wasn't listening anymore, though, she noticed; he was watching her. His expression was revealing the concern that was growing along with hers, building as the saline pooled above her lower lids.

"What'd you do, Jackie?" He asked it so quietly. "Just, please, baby, please tell me you didn't do anything with him." He waited, his shoulders falling at the guilt that washed over what he could swear was the most beautiful face he had ever seen. "Baby?" left his lips as ragged breath. "Please."

"I'm sorry," she cried softly. "I was drunk, and there's just all this stuff between us."

Colin's expression crumbled. " _What_ did you do?" As he watched her, it became real. Her eyes told him everything, the tiny motion of her head, her tears, her quivering mouth. "Just tell me you didn't fuck him, Jackie." She didn't answer. "Please. Say something."

"I slept with him."

Colin shut his eyes, and he felt his heart sink and splinter.

"Colin…"

He opened his eyes, his expression wrought with both pain and fury. "Don't say another _damn_ word."

"Please listen to me," she pleaded as he tried to stagger to the door. "I was drunk. I wasn't thinking. Donna was sick, so I went into Michael and Brooke's room, and he was there. I don't know…"

"I don't want to hear this shit," he said, and then scowled, backtracking through what she said. "Wait…What the hell are you talking about? Donna and Kelso and Brooke."

Jackie stepped back. "On…On Halloween."

" _Halloween?"_

"Yes," she whimpered and covered her mouth, starting to cry at her misstep. "That's when it started."

Colin stepped forward, eyes wide. "That's when _what_ started?"

Finally allowing herself to accept her fate, Jackie closed her eyes and sucked in all the oxygen between them. "Our affair," she gasped out and began to sob.

At that, Colin looked at her as if she had just been doused with kerosene and set ablaze. All the words he wanted to say froze in his mouth, and he walked over dazedly to the couch to sit down.

Jackie took a step toward him. "I'm so sorry, baby."

Staring at the floor, Colin put his hand up. "How many times?"

Jackie shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

"How many _fucking_ times?!"

Jumping at the sound, Jackie started to cry harder. She tried to shake her head, but failed in her fatigue. "I don't even know."

And it was there, at those words, that his eyes watered. His skin blazed red, though. His body sulked, as if every muscle had abandoned him.

Colin lowered his head into his hands, shutting his eyes as he inhaled the sour air of her apartment. It was shock and grief, seeping in. "Fuck," he mouthed in near silence. He couldn't even remember the last time his body wanted to cry. As a child, maybe, and even then, it took a lot. But it wanted to now.

"I was going to tell you, I swear. I love you. Please don't hate me."

Her voice, as she continued, was grating at his brain, agitating his entire body and bringing him to his feet. _"_ _Just stop_. I don't want to hear you."

Jackie stepped back at the look in his eyes. All the usual love and adoration was absent from his eyes. "Colin," she eased out gingerly. "Please." Her eyes were set hard on him. "Just know, before you leave, that I chose _you._ " A slight grimace brought life back to his face, prompting her to explain. "He asked me to leave you for him, but I couldn't do it." The second it left her lips, she regretted it.

Colin's face fell, his mind transcending into a whole new breed of anger. " _What?"_

Realizing her mistake, Jackie's eyes widened. "I…" But she was done for. Everything, every second of guilt, every moment of clarity when his face would come into thought, sometimes in the arms of Hyde, they were all here with her now. It was the pinnacle of a month's worth of stress, converging as she breached her reckoning and watched his anger bloom. She had made the fall for Hyde and, for Colin, she had hit the ground at a thousand miles per hour. And now, there was nothing left to do but shatter. " _I'm sorry_ ," she sobbed to him. "God! I am _so_ sorry. I'm so sorry, Colin."

Jackie rushed to him and pressed her forehead to his chest.

"Please don't hate me. I'll do anything you want. Just _please_ don't hate me. Please," she whispered and raised her head, her eyes pleading.

Colin simply looked at her, quiet for so long that she thought he may never speak to her again, but he parted his lips, uttering quietly, "Just answer me one thing, Jackie." She swallowed, listening. "Did you 'choose' me before or after I gave you that ring?"

Jackie let her eyes close and reopened them. She could lie, but his eyes were demanding the truth, and her mouth was now expelling it freely like vomit.

"When you proposed, I…" She stopped and gave up, having no idea what to say. "I made a mistake. Okay? I screwed up."

"Yeah…" he agreed regretfully. "You made a _big_ mistake, Jackie." Slowly, as she stared into his calmly disillusioned eyes, Jackie lowered her hands, conscious of the cold wave that had already washed over him. All he had left for her, at the moment, was a nearly expressionless stare, laced with the slightest glimmer of contempt. "I quit my job for you," he said gently. "I loved that job." He shook his head and scoffed, letting the injustice of it all soak in. "I spent everything I had on a fucking diamond, and the whole time _Hyde_ had his dick in you."

Jackie's face contorted in pain. There was something about the way men served their spite, so cold and with the barest of words. Women screamed; they spilled over with heated emotion, but men knew how to shut it off. It was so unfair.

"And _you're_ crying," were the last words he uttered.

It was abrupt, the way he stepped around her and left. A blink, and the man she had hoped to marry was gone. Jackie fell against her front door in tears. There was a rumbling in her ears—a muffled whirl, amplifying her own sobs. She had to call Brooke. She needed someone who cared.

Jackie blew out a raucous sigh and sucked in all the air she could before making her way over to the couch. She sat down and dialed, growing angry as it rang and rang, making her only cry harder. "Pick up, damn it!"

She slammed the phone down and quickly picked it back up again, dialing both Kevin and then Fez, getting no answer. Finally, she decided to try Donna, but with no luck either.

Craving warmth, Jackie retreated to her bedroom, not bothering to turn on the lights, and crawled beneath the covers. After some hesitation and a lot of tears, she grabbed the phone once more and dialed.

" _Hello?"_

The warm, deep tone of his voice made Jackie feel so much better, and she closed her eyes, exhaling in relief.

* * *

"Hello?" Hyde frowned, able to hear sniffling. It came through the line sounding sweet and delicate, like a woman's whisper, barely there. He was sure of its source and cupped his hand over the phone, whispering. "Jackie?"

He heard a click.

"Who was it," Jessica asked, grabbing his attention as she sat down on the couch.

Hyde cleared his throat as he hung up. "Oh, wrong number."

Picking up the remote, he changed the channel on the TV a few times, pondering as Jessica snuggled in next to him. His life, it was slowly settling back into place. A cold night, this warm girl, and a second chance; it was a gift, now being chased down by the sound of breath ringing like an alarm, deep in his ear…


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: Tainted Love**

* * *

 _With the amazed eyes of a child, Jackie blinked and stepped forward. She had finally found the twilight garden; it was beneath a wide open, blueberry-colored sky, precisely as she had been told. The air here felt dated, though, faded into a misty gray. It flickered and shined like an old movie while lush, green trees, and the stars above, twinkled like a storybook play._

 _As had been promised, the garden gave Jackie that feeling of peace that she had been searching for. She was home._

" _You ready?"_

 _Jackie turned her head toward Hyde's voice and smiled, drinking him in as she stepped slowly toward her daddy's Lincoln._

 _Hyde hopped off the hood. He looked so young, and it occurred to her that he was a teenager of no more than seventeen, while she was a matured twenty-four. Nevertheless, she was intensely attracted to him._

 _Guardedly, Jackie looked around them. No one was here. It was just the two of them. No one would have to know._

" _Okay," she responded to the expectant glimmer in his eyes, taking the last few steps to reach him. "I'll kiss you, but you can't tell anyone."_

" _I won't tell a soul," the young Hyde obliged and reached out to draw her toward him, causing a gentle grunt to escape her lungs at the collision with his chest. Jackie had to smile. He was young, but he was strong. And when she felt his chest swell against hers, she closed her eyes and waited for her heart to soar. And just as she puckered, he kissed her, softly at first, before his passion flared and sent him deep inside her mouth._

 _Dutiful to Colin's mission, Jackie noted every movement of Hyde's lips, measured each pucker, tested the sweetness beneath his tongue, and analyzed the way he used it to feel his way around hers, to connect. There was nothing more special than the bond of a kiss. It was the way to truly know someone. It was the most intimate gesture in the world, someone inviting you into their mouth, and their technique said so much. Colin had explained it all._

" _God," Jackie exhaled as Hyde pulled away. She opened her eyes, immediately recognizing the cozy confines of his basement bedroom. "Oh…" Her chest was inflamed with tingles. "Wow."_

 _Hyde frowned with concern. "How was that? Better?"_

" _You…" Still recovering from her delirium, Jackie struggled to simply smile and sat down on his cot. "Oh, God… That was so, so good, but you're just way too young for me. We can't do this."_

" _Oh…" Hyde frowned. "Yeah, okay." Obviously displeased with her response, he gave her a small, somber smile. "I guess I'll see you around then."_

 _The next thing she saw was his back, moving away from her. The room he walked was suddenly bigger than she remembered, like a large warehouse, and he was getting so far away. "Wait," she hollered. "Get back here. Where are you going?"_

 _Hyde turned around, a pensive glower practically answering her question. "I don't know, but I can't really leave this place, so I guess not very far."_

" _Well, let me stay here with you." She knew she was way too old for him, but what the hell, twenty-four—seventeen. It could work!_

 _But Hyde shook his head at her. "You can't."_

" _Why not?"_

" _Because you don't belong here anymore, Jackie," he said to her. "It's time to go."_

" _Yes, I do. I like it here with you." Her eyes besought him. "Please, Steven. Let me stay."_

" _Go home, Jackie," he insisted with a more quieted force. "You can't stay."_

" _But I didn't mean what I said before. I love the way you kiss. I felt something. I swear. I just…" Jackie started to panic as he continued to walk away, prompting her to try and follow, but her feet would not move. "Steven," she called out. "I want to stay here with you. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it!" After a short struggle with the ground below her, Jackie looked to her right and saw a jewelry store. Maybe there was a car in there she could use. But people were all over and a curious crowd was starting to gather. "Ugh," she grumbled. "I hate the mall on Saturdays! Shoo," she said, trying to ignore the embarrassment she felt for being stuck in quick sand in the middle of the damn mall. "There's nothing to see here. Go away."_

 _With a dismal scowl on her face, Jackie got herself unstuck and walked around a while, searching for Steven Hyde, and shopping for Christmas presents, until Hyde's existence faded from the dream that soon became a nightmare about cheerleading camp, the horrors of which carried her straight into consciousness…_

 **Thursday**

 **November 29, 1984**

 **Thanksgiving Day**

 **2:57 PM**

Her entire body tensing, Jackie snapped open her eyes, startled at the sound of a sharp thunder crack. As it rumbled and growled away, her attention was drawn in the other direction.

BANG! BANG! BANG! _"Jackie!"_

Catapulting into a sitting position, Jackie looked over at her clock. She flipped her covers back, instantly getting assaulted by the bitter morning cold.

" _Jackie!"_

Crap. It was Brooke.

"Hang on," Jackie grumbled blearily. Her beet-red and swollen eyes did not want to stay open. They burned like hell, too. But somehow, she managed to make it over to her closet to grab her purple bath robe, slipping it on as she walked. She had completely forgotten about the holiday. Thanksgiving at the Formans. She had no idea why, but that plan _hadn't changed since the tenth grade_. Regardless of what life held, every fourth Thursday in November, it was to be lived out at the Forman Thanksgiving dinner. She could be near death, puking out a lung, and she was still expected at the kids table at five o'clock sharp. But this time, she wasn't going this year.

Jackie tied her robe and opened the front door.

Kelso, with a toddler in each arm, grimaced at the sight of her. "Jeez, Jackie." He looked her up and down—she was a train wreck—and raised his eyebrows. " _Not_ aging like I thought you would."

"Shut _up_ , Michael. I just woke up." Looking like a rabid bulldog, Jackie turned around and lay down on her couch.

Brooke frowned curiously at her fiancé as the family of four, plus an additional toddler, stepped inside. "Why aren't you dressed?"

"Because I'm not going."

Kelso set the boys down. They took off running. "So, where's Colin? I've got a few stink bombs I'm going to let off in Eric's car. I want to show him."

Jackie sulked, remembering the night before as she tucked her knees up to her chest. It was why she was so tired. She had tried all night to call him. She had cried her eyes raw.

Concerned, Betsy let go of her mother's hand and walked over to Jackie. Gently, she petted her head. "Why are you sad, Auntie Jackie?"

The sound of the little girl's voice hit Jackie's heart, and she reached out. "Can I have a hug, Betsy?" Betsy nodded and crawled onto the couch and into her Godmother's arms. Jackie squeezed her tightly and smiled. "You look beautiful… And your dress is so pretty."

"Grandma gave it to me."

Brooke sat down. "What's going on? Why aren't you going?"

"Where's Colin," Kelso repeated, making a poor attempt at searching the apartment.

"Gone," Jackie uttered and squeezed her Goddaughter. She looked over at Brooke grimly. "He knows."

A beat later, Brooke's eyes widened. "Oh, no."

"He knows that it was Steven, too," Jackie admitted shamefully. "He knows everything."

"Whoa." Kelso walked around the second couch and sat down. "Well, this sucks. Now who am I supposed to show off my stink bombs to?" He folded his arms. "Way to go, Jackie…"

* * *

 **Four Miles Away**

 **Gino's Bar**

A man of about forty-eight gingerly poured a half-empty bottle of Bacardi into another and screwed the pouring nozzle back on, dropping the empty bottle in the trash. The place was empty today, and for good reason. It was Thanksgiving. He did have one customer, though, one lonely soul who drank like it was New Year's Eve.

Colin tapped the bar sloppily. "Give me the black stuff."

"One more, and then you're done, fella."

Colin looked up crossly. "I can handle my beer. Thanks. In fact, pour two."

The man looked at him a moment. What the hell, he thought. It was a holiday. "Can I ask you something?"

"No."

He poured two glasses of Guinness for his only customer. "What are you doing here alone on Thanksgiving?"

"What are _you_ doing here alone on Thanksgiving?" Colin repeated in his orneriness.

"I need the cash," the bartender admitted.

Colin nodded, understanding. "I'm not from here," he explained, letting his full accent through. "I don't give a fuck about Thanksgiving." He handed his second glass to his new friend. "Cheers…"

* * *

Her expression determined, Brooke held out two coke cans. "Put them on."

"Coke cans, Brooke?"

"You didn't have anything else, Jackie." She handed Jackie the cans and sat down on the bathroom sink. "You need to go shopping."

Grumbling to herself, Jackie stuck both ice cold Cokes on her eyes and scoffed. "Jessica's probably going to be there, hanging all over Steven and looking perfect, and there I'll be: Puffy and alone." Feeling sorry for herself, Jackie began to fake sob. "I tried to call Colin all night. You don't think he's in Vegas, do you"

"No." Brooke began digging through Jackie's make-up case. "Speaking of, I'm going to have to make you look like a stripper just to hide your bobo eyes."

"I deserve it," Jackie whined.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "No, you don't." She reached over and took the cokes. "Here, let me see."

"Are they less puffy?" Jackie asked hopefully.

Brooke grimaced. "Maybe we should have used the frozen peas…"

* * *

 **Point Place, Wisconsin**

 **3:45 PM**

" _Steven, is this right?!"_

"Is what right," Hyde yelled absentmindedly from the couch and sneered at the TV, half lost in the Twilight Zone marathon that he'd been watching since noon. "What the hell? Don't go in there," he ordered the man in the TV. "Moron! Hey, Jess, did you ever have a doll that talked?"

" _Steven! Does this…"_ From the kitchen, Jessica growled in frustration. _"Will you just get over here?"_

"What?" He got up and walked into the kitchen, his lips turning up into a smile as Jessica held out a steaming, freshly baked pumpkin pie. Oven mittens covered her hands.

"Does this look right?" she asked, wincing.

"Yeah," Hyde assured her, his face displaying his amazement as he pointed. "You did that by yourself? The crust, too?" She nodded, and Hyde smiled, leaning over her creation to give her a kiss. "It's looks amazing..."

* * *

 **The Minivan**

 **Somewhere between Milwaukee and Point Place**

Sandwiched between two rowdy toddlers, Jackie sat, scowling. "Why can't we have Thanksgiving with just us? There's three of us, four," she corrected, thinking of the sick girl sleeping in Kelso and Brooke's spare bedroom. "And…" Jackie looked around her. "Kids. We've got plenty of those. We'll have a grown-up table and a kid's one, and for freaking once, we'll be at the adult one."

Kelso looked in the rearview mirror. "We go so we don't have to cook."

"No," Brooke corrected. "We go because Mrs. Forman would be upset if we didn't."

"Oh, yeah, and that, too." Kelso nodded. "Plus, she makes those awesome little turkeys out of the napkins and mine from last year was destroyed in the explosion…" Upon Jackie's look, Kelso shook his head. "It's a long story. But I need a new one."

"Whatever," Jackie muttered and looked out the window, unable to remember the last Holiday she'd truly enjoyed. Christmas had been fun. They'd all gone ice skating together. She smiled, recalling that Colin couldn't skate but slid out on the ice with her nevertheless and lay beneath the stars with her.

Jackie closed her eyes; she hadn't felt this low in a long time. She had to stop thinking about him. Her life was unraveling one thread at a time, and nobody seemed to understand. Opening her eyes again, Jackie settled on watching the buildings go by. When they hit a red light, she noticed an elderly woman at the edge of a parking lot, selling flowers in the icy rain. It was then that it struck her. "Oh, Michael, pull over!"

"What? Why?"

"I need to get flowers," Jackie said, pointing at the old woman. "And _we_ need to get to Kenosha!"

Looking back, Brooke's shoulders fell. "Oh, crap. I forgot."

"We have to go back. I promised."

"Jackie," Brooke sighed. "It's not like he's going to be upset with you."

"He has no one, Brooke," Jackie snapped. "I'm the only one who goes to see him. Michael, pull over!"

The light turned green, and Kelso drove through the intersection in a panic. "I'm confused. I don't know what to do. What's she talking about?"

Brooke turned toward him. "Her dad, remember. She visits him every year on Thanksgiving." She twisted back around to face Jackie. "OK, how about this. We go to the Formans'. We eat. We tell them we have to go. We explain why. And on the way home we'll stop by. You won't be rushed that way," she reasoned.

Agonizing, Jackie frowned. "You promise we'll stop?"

"I promise…"

* * *

 **The Forman Residence**

 **4:51 PM**

"Oh, sure. Make fun of the foreign kid!" Fez carped and folded his arms, giving Hyde, Jessica, Eric and Donna a chuckle. "Holy day, my ass."

"Man, it's not a holy day," Hyde explained. "And for the last time, the Indians and the Pilgrims did not have an orgy. They just had dinner together."

Fez made a face. "Not even _after_ they ate?" Everyone shook their heads, making the foreigner scoff. "Well then what's to celebrate?" Sickened, he looked away. "What a sham."

Hyde nodded. "Actually, yeah, man…" Just as he was about to begin his yearly story of Thanksgiving tyranny, he looked over and saw Jackie stroll in miserably through the front door with Kelso and Brooke. "The…The, um…" He turned back to his friends. "The real…"

"Hey!" Kelso called out and came over smiling, blowing his breath into his hands, with Brooke and Jackie behind him. "It's freaking cold out there!"

The kids broke loose and began to yell and bounce toward Fez. "Candy! Candy!"

"Did I hear somebody asking for candy?" Fez asked them, cupping his hand over his ear, and when they all nodded excitedly, he smiled. Brooke shook her head and laughed. "Well, your Uncle Fez," he leaned down secretively, "…just happens to have some."

"Yay!" all three kids shouted and hopped behind Fez into the kitchen. The sounds of Kitty screeching happily upon the sight of them wafted through the swinging door.

Plotting, Jackie slipped around to Donna and pulled her away. "Okay, I need you to get rid of Jessica for me," she declared, her lips pinched down like a grumpy old man.

Donna recoiled and looked around. "What? You mean like," The red head sliced her fingers across her neck. "…get _rid_ of her?"

"No," Jackie smacked Donna's arm. "I mean like take her to the store for just like twenty minutes."

"Why?"

"I need to talk to Steven."

"Oh, no, no. I'm not getting involved in this anymore." Shaking her head, Donna folded her arms, adamant. "They're back together, Jackie. Just leave it."

" _Colin_ _knows,"_ Jackie explained. "I need to warn Steven. I'm not trying to get him _back_."

Donna sighed, and then pointed, narrowing her eyes. "You're not going to make out with him or anything, right?"

"No."

Donna thought it over. "Fine. Give me a minute." Nervously, the redhead meandered toward the blond. "So, Jess…" She smiled and wiggled her nose. "You want to come with me to the store for something?"

Standing beside Hyde, Jessica knit her eyebrows curiously. "For what?"

"The, uh, liquor store." Donna's eyebrows rose in her discomfort. "I want some… liquor," she nodded.

Eric pointed his thumb toward the kitchen, bewildered by his fiancé. "But there's tons of liquor in the kitchen."

"Well…" Donna feigned amusement. "I want more, honey."

"But there's like two bottles of everything in there."

"I want _more_ ," she growled, widening her eyes.

"Jeez, Donna," Kelso sneered. "I figured you'd be the last of us to turn into a booze hound."

Aggravated, Donna simply let her face fall and returned her attention to Jessica. "Will you come with me or not?"

Jessica shrugged. "Sure."

Suspiciously, Hyde frowned at the exchange and took a quick kiss from Jessica, who shrugged. "I guess I'll be right back."

"OK." He watched them grab their coats and walk out the door before he turned his distrustful eyes on the people around him. "Alright. What the hell was that about?" Most everyone shrugged, except the only two women in the room, Brooke and Jackie, who tried to look around innocently. Hyde narrowed his eyes. "What do you two know?"

Busted, Jackie scrunched her face. "Fine, I had Donna get rid of her for a minute."

Hyde frowned. "Why?"

"C'mere." Throwing her coat on the couch, Jackie stepped over to Hyde and pulled him toward the stairs. "We need to talk."

"No, no." Obstinately, Hyde shook his head and took a sip of his beer. "We're done talking."

"It's important. I need to tell you something."

Hyde's face blanched. "Oh, crap, you aren't pregnant, are you?"

" _OH_ , yeah!" Eric shouted, happy as a clam. "I knew it!" He held his hand out to Kelso, who angrily reached into his pocket and slapped a five-dollar bill into his friend's hand.

"Thanks a lot, Hyde."

"No, _you idiots_ ," Jackie spat. "I'm not pregnant."

Taking back his money, Kelso grinned. "Man. That would have been worth the five bucks, though, for sure."

Rolling her eyes back over to Hyde, Jackie gave him a serious look. "Can we talk? Please… Away from these idiots." Her eyes told him to go, begged him. "It's important."

Brooding a moment, Hyde relaxed. "Fine. I have something to tell you, too."

"Doh!" Kelso grinned. " _You're_ not pregnant, are you, Hyde?" Together, he and Eric laughed.

"Michael. Leave them alone," Brooke smacked his back as Jackie laced her fingers with Hyde's and carted him down to the basement and into his old bedroom. It was quiet there. No one would find them. Cozy. Too cozy, Hyde must have thought, because when they stepped inside, he let go and backed away a few feet, crossing his arms.

"So, what was so important that you had my girlfriend shipped off to the liquor store?"

"Colin knows."

Turning quiet, Hyde dropped his defensive stance. "Oh. So, is that… is that why he's not here?" At his question, Jackie simply nodded, making him exhale loudly and clear his throat. "Well… I kind of told Jessica, too."

Jackie raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, I know. Thanks for warning me."

Hyde frowned. "What?"

"She told me," Jackie explained grudgingly. "She came to _me,_ Steven, for advice, and I realized, obviously, that she had no idea that it was me. It was just a little awkward."

More than slightly annoyed, Hyde pressed his tongue against his teeth. Why the hell was Jessica going to Jackie with their problems? Giving in to the debacle that was his life, he raised his hands. "What'd you want me to do? You weren't talking to me anyway… So, is that it? What was so important that you brought me down here?"

"Steven…" Jackie stepped forward. "Colin knows it was _you_. He knows _everything_."

Hyde's face fell. "What do you mean 'everything?'"

"I mean _everything_ ," Jackie replied. "Remember that _stupid car_ that runs on water that you insisted Carol and I take pictures of?"

"Yeah," Hyde winced; pretty sure he knew where this was going.

"He found them. It was that morning after we... you know."

"Yeah," Hyde acknowledged quickly. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No. God, he would never," Jackie said. "But it just all came out." Taking another step closer, she immediately noticed his discomfort. "Steven…" She lowered her voice. "I don't know when, but he's going to come after you. I know him."

Hyde blew out an accepting breath. "Yeah, well…" Backing up, he sat down on the chaise lounge behind him. "I kind of figured as much."

Jackie knelt in front of him, placing her hands on his knees. "I'm so sorry." To his surprise, she leaned forward and hugged him. Hyde closed his eyes—he missed the way she felt in his arms—and nuzzled his nose into her hair.

"You broke up?" he asked her.

"I don't know yet. He left, and I can't get a hold of him."

It was then, alone in his room, holding her and smelling her hair, very aware of her mouth, that Jessica's request began to make sense to Hyde. The only way to really end this was to take himself away from temptation. Far enough away, he would forget about how much he wanted his ex-girlfriend. It had worked once before.

"Hey." Taking hold of her arms, Hyde put an arm's-length distance between them. "It's going to be alright. OK?"

"Yeah. For you, maybe," Jackie said and watched him suspiciously. "And why are you being nice to me? Why aren't you mad at me?"

"I am," he frowned.

"Well, you're not _acting_ like it."

Flabbergasted, Hyde lifted his eyebrows. "I can try harder if you'd like."

Jackie opened her mouth to give a terse reply but wound up working to suppress a smile that wanted out. She failed and rolled her eyes, smiling. "No." Her eyes grew tender, amused at his arrogant expression. "I guess I _do_ like you a _little_ bit better like this."

Hyde leaned forward. "I think you just like me." He punctuated the statement with a grin and kissed her forehead. "Come on. We should get back before anybody realizes we're gone…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

Thanksgiving Dinner

Orange and red, brown and black, poultry and food galore. The living room of Kitty Forman consisted of little else on this Thanksgiving Day. Everyone was seated between two tables, one bigger and much fancier, and the other: the typical 'Kid's table', slapped together with chairs of different shapes and sizes. Kitty smiled and set down a large plate of warm biscuits on the larger table.

"Alright! Biscuits!" Ecstatic, Kelso grabbed one and took a bite. "The grown ups' table kicks ass!" He looked to his right at the eight people seated at the kid's table. One, in particular, was his focus. "Ha! Biscuit! In your face, Hyde!" With a growl, he took a fierce bite and smiled.

In response, Hyde simply reached into the center of their table and pulled a biscuit from a deep bowl. "Ha," he mocked. "Biscuit."

"Wait," Kelso frowned, pointing at the pastry in his friend's hand. "How'd you get that?"

Eric shrugged and reached for one, too. "We just asked for them."

Hyde took a bite and smiled as he chewed. "They're warm, too."

Kelso scowled in indignation. "What the hell, Mrs. F," he groused, turning on his hostess. "What's the point of being allowed at the grown ups' table if I can't shove warm biscuits in Hyde's face?"

"Now, Michael…" Kitty sat down. "You and Brooke are about to be married, so we thought it was time that we treat you like adults and let you in on the adult conversation." She smiled

Beside Kelso, Bob raised his napkin and smiled. "Ooh, look, a Pterodactyl!"

"But I don't want to have adult conversation," Kelso whined to Kitty. He looked over at the kid's table, pining as Eric, Hyde and Fez knife battled. "I want to knife battle."

Red dropped his silverware in his plate. "Kelso, if you don't stop whining, you and I are going to have a 'my foot/your ass' battle. Now shut it."

"You tell him, daddy," Laurie smirked haughtily. "I think there should be a test to be able to sit at this table."

"Oh, he was tested," Brooke cut in graciously. "Especially after I heard he'd been with you."

Laurie's jaw fell as she struggled to find an insult. "Librarian!"

Brooke narrowed her eyes. "Un… Dis… Skank!" She frowned at her own barbaric response and looked to Jackie for approval, from which she got a thumbs up and a wink.

Kitty crooked her mouth and grabbed a biscuit. "Oh, this is real nice."

Suddenly, while Kelso was excitedly watching his ex-girlfriend and his fiancé eye each other, a warm biscuit smacked him in the head. "What the hell?" He looked over. "Okay. Who did that?" Just then, Justin, Christie's son threw another biscuit at him. "Hey!" Kelso tried to scold. "No throwing biscuits at the adults!"

Justin threw another.

Hyde grinned. "I like this kid."

And in an all-out battle, Bradley, Hyde, and Justin began to pelt Kelso with warm, fresh out of the oven, 'Kid's table' biscuits. Hyde coached the kids as Eric joined in. "It's in the wrist," Hyde showed Bradley. "Snap it… Snap it…"

Kitty looked up at Kelso and sighed. "Well, Michael. You need to stop playing with those biscuits… You're just… You're making a mess."

"What?" His head shifted from Kitty to the snickering, gloating crowd at the other table and back again. "No! It's not me!"

Brooke took her eyes from Laurie and gawked at Kelso's part of the table, covered in biscuits. "Michael! _What_ are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything! I swear," Kelso whined and felt another biscuit pelt him from the left side and turned to see a smirking Red. "You're supposed to be a grown up, Red!" Kelso shrieked angrily.

Jackie grabbed a biscuit and threw it. "Come on, Jessica." She handed the blond one. "Throw one."

Jessica shook her head and laughed. "No."

"Come on!" Jackie pushed. "It's fun."

"No, I couldn't."

"Jessica. You _really_ need to lighten up," the brunette divulged. "Irritating Michael is, like, Thanksgiving tradition."

Hyde nodded. "It's true."

"It really is," Donna cut in, throwing a biscuit. "We also put Fez in a dress at the end of the night."

"Oh, that is a tradition for every holiday." Fez smiled.

Jessica waved the biscuit away. "No, thank you. Really."

"Suit yourself," Jackie shrugged and threw another biscuit, beaming her first boyfriend in the ear and making Hyde grin from across the table. To his left, Jessica merely sat, watching Kelso practically cry at the grown-ups table. To his right, Jackie whipped one more at the grown-up's table and ducked.

"My eye!"

* * *

Forty Minutes Later

 _"Self-Control," by the Laura Branigan plays quietly in the background._

It probably wasn't the smartest thing to be doing, especially not with his girlfriend practically sitting on his lap, but his eyes had a mind of their own, an agenda, really. It was just that Jackie looked amazing tonight. Her body was thought-inducing, especially as she giggled at Fez, who was busy trying to cheer her up by doing the robot. Her smile was infectious, and her healthy pink lips formed flawlessly over straight teeth. Her eyes, blue and green, were colored to his taste tonight; he liked when she wore all that smoky stuff around them. And she knew what he liked. She _knew._

Hyde looked back to the company he kept at the table just as Eric made another lame joke. Laurie sneered at him. Jessica smiled at him. The new kid and Bradley were staring at him. This was so stupid and risky. But his gluttonous eyes soon returned to the view by the stairs. Desire, it was a high all its own. It gave his body a rush. His heart pounded. His breath thickened. That's what she did; she made him high, and her presence unquestionably made a dull party a whole hell of a lot funner…

… _April, 1979…_

 _Below him, Jackie's head had fallen back onto his pillow, her hair sexily mussing around her smiling face as her chin reached for the ceiling._

" _Say it," she purred and closed her eyes in anticipation, inside her fists the curls at the back of his head. Affectionately, she gripped them. "Say it, Steven." He would never, as long as he lived, forget the excited look of approaching lust that animated her mouth and jaw that night. She bit wildly at her lip. Her tongue licked. Her mouth opened. She was eager and waiting, but he wanted to make her wait a little more. The girl was crazy, the things that turned her on—insane, but God, she was so sexy, and he vowed to send her willing little body into a frenzy._

"… _for the…" Hyde swallowed, his breath coming in pants. The words were dangling at the tip of his tongue, making his dick jerk, and somehow, as she writhed against him, they were beginning to sound dirty to him, too. Hot. So much that he opened his mouth, letting the steam of his breath moisten her skin, and finally hissed in her ear, "… Cost Share Analysis."_

" _Oh, GOD," Jackie cried out, throwing her head back as Hyde plunged inside her, thrusting deep until he was completely sheathed. He began to rock his hips. FUCK, she felt good._

 _Jackie's eyes snapped open. "Oh, keep going, Steven," she smirked lasciviously. "Tell me what else you did."_

 _Hyde grinned at her sexual tenacity. He liked it. "Uh… Oh," He drew his hips back as she slapped a wanton kiss on his lips and clutched at his hair. "After lunch, I had to collate the…" He paused, half for strategy, half lost in the sensation._

 _Jackie began to heave. "Yeah…"_

 _Once he was sure her body was aching for it, her hips rolling like a wave beneath him, he slid the swollen tip of his erection another inch inside and pulled back, enjoying the way the tease made her eyes flutter closed. "…the monthly expense reports," he finished and drove himself back inside, squeezing his own eyes shut at the incredible sensation, the intensity of it driving him to bury his face in her neck. "Ah… Jesus, Jackie." God, it was too good, but before he could rally his other senses, his girlfriend seized his mouth._

" _God, you're so, so dirty, Steven."_

 _He kissed her, wild and hard. "You're freaking crazy, you know that?"_

 _Jackie nodded as they sucked and bit at each other's mouths. "Keep going," she whined, grinding her hips, frustrated with his teasing pace. "Make me come. Talk to me."_

 _His only instinct, though, was to pump in and out of her as they kissed. To fight the urge was pointless, not to mention stupid. She was just too hospitable on the inside. And hell, if he knew what else to say. He was not a talker; he was barely a doer, and he certainly couldn't do both at the same time._

" _Steven!"_

 _Upon her demand, Hyde had a thought and lifted her, maintaining their connection as he sat down and brought her down onto his lap. Immediately, while she began to rock her hips, Hyde kissed her mouth while he finished unfastening the last buttons of her shirt, while she bounced and moaned his name. He smiled, moaning in relief when he finally unveiled her breasts and squeezed._

" _God damn, Jackie." Raising an eyebrow, Hyde closed his eyes. Already, he could feel the pressure beginning to build in his groin, driving him to grab her ass and bounce her higher, slam her down harder. Her moans and pants, and, more especially, the impatient thrusts of her tongue into his mouth, were going to make this one a very short trip to his bedroom. He felt a tug a moment later and realized that she was undoing his tie._

" _Oh, Puddin' Pop," Jackie stilled her hips to focus on his chest. "You are so sexy in your little suit." She loosened his tie until it was simply hanging around his neck and unbuttoned his shirt as she more fiercely resumed her grinding. "Make me come, Steven," Jackie nodded insistently and grabbed the two ends of his tie. "Tell me what you did after lunch. Talk to me."_

 _Twisting each end of the tie around her hands, Jackie leaned back slightly, using the material to leverage her movements, giving Hyde the view of a lifetime as he frowned at her orders. Talk... Her body undulated and swelled against him… Talk… Reverence taking over, Hyde pressed his palms to her bare breasts and ran them down her sides, stopping at her hips to guide her movement. And where his eyes stopped, where they would lie until his completion, was the sweet place where his erection disappeared inside her. Over and over, he watched it slide into her and come out glistening._

" _Oh, fuck, I'm going to come. I can't hold it."_

" _No, Steven!" Urgently, she rocked over him. "Wait. Don't come yet. Say something!" she commanded and sat straight up, wrapping her hands around to the back of his neck as she worked her hips, fighting for orgasm. "I'm almost there, baby."_

 _Hyde began to panic, the pressure beneath his cock nearly ready to erupt. "Crap! Um… Um… Oh, I got it," he said. "I tried to get someone fired yesterday."_

 _Her eyes focused below his abdomen, Jackie raised her eyebrows. "Really," she panted. "Why?"_

" _Cause this moron from Human Resources was pissing me off…" Hyde held his breath briefly, trying to keep his orgasm at bay. "…and I couldn't kick his ass. Apparently, it's frowned upon."_

 _Jackie's mouth opened wider. "You almost got in a fight at work?" she asked, her eyes widening, and when he nodded, she smiled and threw her head back. "Oh, GOD, that is so hot, Steven." A moment later, their bodies brutally colliding, Hyde felt her begin to shake and heard the sharp whimpers that meant she was coming. He slammed her hips down over him a few more times before hitting his own threshold, and lifted her off._

 _Groaning, he shut his eyes as she considerately milked him and then, together, they fell onto the bed, coming to rest on their backs. "Jesus Christ, Jackie," he exhaled and smiled agreeably. "I vote you 'Best Cocktail Party Date Ever'."_

" _I told you," Jackie smirked proudly. "And you better never forget it either." She turned on her side to face him, her face suddenly wrought with worry. "So, do you think anyone noticed we left?"_

 _Hyde closed his eyes, his lungs still fighting for air. "Who cares."_

" _You feel better?"_

" _Yep." He looked over. "I'm definitely over my flowchart-business-dork slip up."_

 _Jackie smiled and sat up. "Well, come on. We need to get back before Mrs. Forman notices we're gone."_

 _Tired, but satisfied, Hyde sat up and raised his chin as she buttoned him back up and re-tied his necktie._

" _What are we going to do, Steven? We're all worked up and dewy now. We can't go back out there like this."_

 _Hyde grinned and reached into the little box on his dresser, pulling out a joint. "Problem solved, darling," he said and gave her lips a kiss…_

"He-llo… Steven…"

Reality rushed forward, and Hyde looked over toward Jessica. "Huh? What?"

"I said, 'What are you thinking about?"

"Who, me? Nothing." He looked forward. The damn kids were still staring at him. "I wasn't thinking about anything."

"Well, have you thought about what I said?"

Hyde let his eyes wander again near the stairs, but was careful to not let them fall where they wanted to. It was pretty clear now that Jacquelyn Burkhart was going to be the end of him if he let this continue. And aside from the fact that he spent half of his days now trying to figure out how to break up with Jessica humanely, his life wasn't so terribly bad.

He looked at Jessica. "Yeah, actually, I have."

"Well?" she pressed with little left of the 'gingerly approach' she typically used. He was the one on the short leash now. "Are you going to move with me to Chicago or not?"

"Sure," he nodded and gave her the tiniest glimmer of a smile. It was probably best. "I'll go."

Jessica beamed, gasping at his answer. "You will?" Throwing her arms around his neck, she crashed into him and kissed his mouth hard. From across the room, Jackie watched Hyde push his girlfriend away as prudently as she'd ever seen him be and whisper in her ear, making her smile before glancing over toward the stairs uneasily. Old habits were hard to break, maybe, and an old dog could not be taught new tricks, but from where she stood, one thing was clear, the power was shifting…

* * *

Forman Driveway

7:15 PM

Kelso leaned belly first into Eric's new car. "Man, Donna's going to think he farted," he snickered.

"Just hurry up." Hyde, the spotter, groused and peered around though the rain. "The point is to not let him know who did it."

"Oh, he's going to know." Kelso crawled out and stood up, wiping his hands on his pants. "I carved my initials on the bombs."

Impressed, Hyde nodded. "I like it. Like a calling card."

Both grinned at each other and turned around, running straight into a soaking wet, and obviously drunk, Colin.

His mouth agape, Kelso glanced at Hyde briefly and then back at Colin. "Hey, man," he said gingerly, noticing that the foreigner wouldn't take his bloodshot eyes off Hyde, who only dropped his shoulders. "Uh… Maybe you guys should take this somewhere else. The kids are inside."

Colin, kept his eyes, glazed with self-restraint, on Hyde. "I think you know why I'm here."

Hyde nodded. "Kelso, go in the house. Keep the girls in the living room with the kids."

Kelso looked between both men. "You sure, man?"

"Yeah. Just go. And keep Jess away."

Colin shook his head as Kelso scurried into the house. "You know," he uttered calmly. "Where I'm from, you screw somebody's girl, you get your face scrubbed clean with the pavement."

Accepting his fate, Hyde drew in a deep breath and pushed it back out. "Yeah, that's pretty much how it works here, too." And with that… _CRACK!_... his neck snapped backwards from the force of Colin's wrath-driven fist. The sudden pain in his face proved excruciating, a fierce, throbbing sting in his nose. He turned his head down, fighting the burn, and grabbed his face before receiving a brutal blow to his temple. Pain exploded through his skull. "Ah… _Fuck,"_ he yelled and stepped away, grabbing his head. "God damn it." The pain was horrendous, but as much as his body told him to, he couldn't fight back. It just wasn't in the code. He held up his hand. "Hang on… Shit." The volatile throb in his head worried him briefly, but he straightened up when the worst of it passed and nodded, summoning another punch, this time it came at his mouth, sending him back against Eric's car.

"Colin!" Jackie ran out from the sliding glass door into the rain, followed by Red and Kitty.

"Oh, my God. What's happening on my driveway?" Kitty, in a panic, was quickly stopped and held beneath the awning by Red.

"Kitty, stay out of it," her husband warned.

She shook her head, and shut her eyes as Hyde took another strike to his face. "Oh, my God, Red! I'm calling the police!"

"No, you're not," he said sternly, realizing what was occurring on his driveway. "This is a fight between men. Fair and square. Why don't you head inside and keep the kids busy."

"I'm not going anywhere!"

Following them, Donna stepped outside and slapped her hands to her mouth as Hyde took another punch. "Oh, my God." Eric and Kelso ran past her as she turned around and ran into Jessica. "You… um, let's go inside."

"What's going on?" Jessica asked.

Jackie ran up to Colin and shoved him backwards. "Colin, stop it! This is between you and me!"

"The hell it is, Jackie! Get out of the way!"

"No!" she refused angrily. "Let's just go and talk, OK… You and me."

" _Get_ out of the way." He grabbed Jackie's shoulders and moved her gently to his right, but she only came back. "Jackie! Get out of the way!"

"No!"

"God damn it, move." Indignant, Colin scowled at her. "You're defending _him_? He dumped you for a stripper, Jackie! Or did you forget?"

Behind her, Hyde climbed to his feet. "Jackie, he's right. Get out of the way."

"No," Jackie refused tearfully. "Both of you, stop it!"

Hyde looked at his friend. "Kelso, get her the hell out of the way." And just as a festered Kelso complied, dragging Jackie, squirming and arguing, from his and Colin's path, Hyde heard another female voice to his left.

"Steven?" He looked over and saw Jessica standing in the rain. "Baby, what's going on?"

Hyde shut his eyes, exhaling the last of his will as his shoulder's fell. "Shit." And, with the might of what felt like a freight train, another blow struck his eye, forcing him backwards as his face tightened painfully. "God _damn_ it." He spit blood. It felt as if his teeth had broken through his bottom lip, but what made the sensation all the more difficult to take were the struggles and cries coming from Jackie, screaming Colin's name, begging him to stop as Hyde was hit again and finally brought down to the ground, the left side of his head smacking onto the pavement.

Jessica rushed to his side as Eric shoved Colin back. "Dude, that's enough!" Almost as angry at his beaten friend, Eric turned a scorned look on Hyde. "Man, why aren't you fighting back?!"

"Forman." Dazed, Hyde struggled to sit up and held out his hand, trying to think past Jessica's sobbing questions in his ear. "Man, stay out of it. Just get her out of here."

"Get the fuck up," Colin demanded. "Fight back. I'll still kick your ass."

Jessica shot a fierce look at Colin. " _You_ shut the fuck up!" She looked around. "Will someone tell me what the _hell_ is going on?"

Willing to take orders from only her, Colin stepped back, guilt riding on his face as Jackie sobbed to his left. Things were going too far, and beating the shit out of Hyde didn't seem to be making him feel any better. Dropping his hands to his side, he looked sympathetically at Jessica. "You didn't know either, did you?" he breathed out unevenly.

Jessica glowered at him. "Know what?" Suddenly the world seemed to silence; only the cold rain continued, soaking all six in the driveway as Jessica scanned every face and then returned to Colin. "Know _what?!"_ she repeated with more insistence.

Colin shook his head, eying Kelso and Eric. "You all knew. Didn't you?" he asked, finding little else but shamed faces. Taking mercy on only Jessica, Colin relaxed his swelling fist and looked her square in the eye. "Your boyfriend has been screwing my fiancé behind our backs since Halloween. My _ex_ -fiancé," he corrected himself quickly and sucked in a deep, deep breath. "He was going to leave you for her."

Guilty, Jackie shut her eyes while behind her, Kelso shot Colin a disappointed look. "Man, Colin."

"Hey, fuck you, Kelso. I thought you were my friend."

"I am, man. But Hyde's my best friend."

Regardless of the alcohol in his system, Colin began to feel the unique pang of betrayal. He had trusted them all. He had trusted _her_ , but at the moment, all he trusted in the world was himself and maybe the blonde on the ground a few feet away; because apparently, she was just as ignorant and stupid as him.

"Steven?" Jessica's eyes bore into Hyde's. "Is he telling the truth?" Her face contorted as she tried to expel the words from her mouth. "It…" She held back a sob. "It was _her_? This whole time."

Hyde cast his swollen, aching eyes on the concrete of the driveway. "Yeah. It was her."

Below the dark blue twilight of this final day, as the rain continued to pour, Jessica stared vacantly, disenchanted, at the man that she had allowed herself to fall in love with. For more than a year, she had toiled under the assumption that he was hers. The sex itself, the pain of imagining him naked with another, was squalor compared to the sudden vacuum inside her heart. He had given her almost nothing, and now she knew why.

Colin's words began to form a story… Halloween… your boyfriend… my fiancé… Leave you for her…

"Jess…"

The blonde shook her head, grateful for the rain that cloaked her tears. "You left me..." Her chest quaked. "…for her." Culpable, Hyde looked down in disgrace, and a realization hit Jessica. "And then he proposed to her, and you came running back to me. I was second choice."

"I'm sorry," Hyde muttered and closed his eyes, recognizing an epiphany when one washed over him. He was a dirt bag. The very lowest of the low. The eyes around him magnified the confirmation. Jackie's sobs, Colin's demoralized stance, Jessica's crestfallen, pretty face, he owned them all. "I'm really _sorry_ _,_ Jess." It came out, and he looked up with sincerity, but he knew it was useless.

Jessica stood up. A mile above her head, a minute in the past, the sky had opened wide and now its torrent was pummeling the earth without mercy. She glanced at Jackie, who watched her, crying… then at Kelso, around to Eric, and then to everyone beneath the Forman porch: Red, Kitty, Brooke, Laurie, Bob, Midge and Donna. Only Fez, Amy, and the children were missing. "You all knew?" she asked, bringing her scrutiny on the person closest to her. "Eric?"

Like a coward, he lowered his head, and Jessica turned to Donna, who was still crying from watching Hyde get hit repeatedly. "Donna?" The red head, like her boyfriend, only shook her head. The faces around her wore the same dishonor. "Oh, my God." Jessica whipped her head right at Jackie and stepped forward. "You." She narrowed her eyes, suddenly angry at the brunette's beauty and the luck that had been hers for snaring his impossible heart so young. "How could you?" Bringing guilt with her gaze, Jessica stepped forward. "You knew how much I loved him."

"I didn't… until..."

"You _knew,"_ Jessica yelled. "How could you?! You knew how it _felt!_ He did it to _you_!"

"I'm sorry." Gasping in her next series of breaths, Jackie sobbed. It was like looking in a mirror and into the past. What would she think of herself now? The young girl who had been broken by him five years before. She had passed it on, the pain. "I'm sorry," was all she could say over and over again.

Jessica started to cry, too. "You're a whore."

"No." Sorrowfully, Jackie shook her head. "I swear I'm not."

"Yes, you are," Jessica informed her tearfully. "You're a selfish whore." And with regret already in her heart, she slapped Jackie across the cheek. "I hate you," she cried. "I've _always_ hated you." Jessica took Jackie's crying face inside herself, sharing the pain; she would have moved heaven and earth for Steven Hyde; she would have walked through the worst parts of hell just to earn the right to his love, and he wanted _her._ He probably always had. "Now I know why."

Jackie ignored the hot sting over her left cheek, knowing she deserved it. What she wouldn't have given to knock the living shit out of Sam. And yes, Jessica was right, she knew; she should have known how it felt and stopped their affair, but Jessica did not know the whole of this pain. To imagine it hurt but to see it for herself was a cycle of death, over and over, to see him lay his lips on someone else, to watch his jaw move sensually, to watch him give himself to another.

Jackie's repentant eyes were set on Jessica until an arm wrapped around the blonde's waist and pulled her back. It was Hyde's, and he whispered something in her ear from behind.

"Don't touch me!" Jessica pushed him back and, to no one's surprise, except Hyde's, sought refuge behind Colin. She grabbed the Irishman's arm and looked at Hyde distressingly. "We're finished. There's nothing to talk about," she told him and tugged on Colin's arm. "Will you please take me home?" she uttered. "Please?"

He nodded, his eyes soft and sad on Jackie. "Yeah."

"Jess, he's drunk." Unrelentingly, Hyde stepped forward. "Just let someone else take you home."

The blond shook her head. "No," she squinted through the downpour. "I don't want to be near any one of you traitors."

Beside her, Colin finally came back to life and started to turn around, catching a glimpse of the crowd, sheltered by the porch. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Forman," he said in sincerity and grabbed Jessica's hand, taking her with him. "Let's go."

"Wait," Jackie yelled out and rushed after him.

"Jackie…" Hyde took a step forward to grab her, but stopped cold, thwarted when Colin turned around.

Up ahead, Jackie's face unleashed every plea, every scrap of desperation to Colin _. "Please."_

The gamble worked, and he laid his captivated eyes on her, handing Jessica his keys. "My car's in the street. Go wait inside where it's dry." But the keys did not move, and he looked over, taking notice of the worried crinkle on the blonde's face, the distressed energy. "I'll be right behind you," he said gently. "I promise."

Reticent, but trusting him, Jessica took the keys and, giving Hyde a wayward glance, took off down the misty, rain-soaked driveway.

"Colin…Please…" Jackie grabbed Colin's face and squeezed. "Please," she whispered.

"Please _what,_ Jackie?" he asked, obviously worn, obviously destroyed, and most definitely still in love.

At his question, she drew in a trembling breath and tried to force out an answer. Please _what?_ Just please. So many things. Things she suddenly had no right to ask for. Please don't leave me alone (like _he_ did). Please don't sleep with her (like _he_ did). Please don't hate me (…like _he_ did…).

"I don't know," she found herself uttering. "Just… _please_ …don't hate me." Closing his eyes, with nearly the whole world watching, Colin let her pull his head down to hers. "I love you," she professed tearfully. "I'm sorry."

"I love you, too," he returned softly, causing Jackie to sigh in relief and smile at the intense pleasure of his words. She thought there might be hope until the ring on her left finger was gently taken away from her. Kissing her lips one more time, Colin frowned painfully. "But I will _never_ marry you."

It was fair to say that when the man Jackie had planned on loving her forever turned around, what was left of her spirit shattered to pieces. Having to watch him walk away, those words still lingering in the air, drove the tears from her eyes and she began to bawl. He was _walking_ away; _he_ , who wanted to commit to her, wanted her children, the one boy and one girl that she would never have, the dog, the two cats, the picket fence... They were all lost. And there was nothing, no words to fix it, no way to go back, and no way to change it. She wanted those moments with him back. All the things she'd meant to tell him, and all the things she'd wanted to hear him say back. "Colin," she screamed and felt Hyde's arms wrap around her, holding her in place as she tried to run for the street. "Colin!"

Hyde gripped her tight. "Just let them go," he commanded her. It wasn't like he didn't want to follow, too. It wasn't the way he wanted it all to go, but chasing was futile, it would only make things worse, and he was exhausted. His body could barely hold itself up, let alone hers. But he had to keep her still. Colin had that look in his eye, the one Hyde had seen in his mirror too many times.

Out on the street, an engine whirred, headlights shined and then, they were gone. And as rain descended on the quiet driveway, its icy cold drops freezing the guilty into place, Hyde felt a chill and hugged Jackie tighter. An old weight was lifting from his shoulders just as the shake of her body began to bear down on him. "Jackie, come on." It was difficult to distinguish her tears from the rain, but she was without doubt still crying, and her face wore the aftermath of her shock as the life in her eyes seemed to disappear. "Baby," he whispered as the rest looked on. "You're going to freeze out here."

"I don't care."

"Well, I do," he countered. "I'm taking you inside."

"Just leave me here, Steven," Jackie cried, her body slowly weighing down beneath her, but she could feel his grip tighten on her as she slid. He could try all he wanted to stop it, but she was giving up. On everything. It all ended tonight. The child inside, the hope that filled her once optimistic heart, the belief in love, she let it all go and felt her knees buckle.

Barely a foot into her fall, she was caught by Hyde and felt her body rise into the air, her head and knees falling against his shoulders. Jackie closed her eyes. It was too cold, and she was too tired, to argue. Plus, he just felt so solid, so safe, and, tucked against him, she felt perfectly protected from the judgment of so many eyes.

Jackie in his arms, Hyde turned around, not surprised to see most everyone huddled beneath the awning, two in the rain, still watching them. He had never felt so exposed, and had never in his life experienced what he was feeling for Jackie at that moment—intense solidarity. They were both shamed, both wrong, and as the world shook its head at them, his eyes dared anyone to criticize them. "Someone, get her some dry clothes and a blanket," he said, the first to speak.

"Laurie, get some warm clothes for Jackie," Kitty ordered, then ran into the house. "Red! Get the boys some dry clothes!" she yelled back.

Red turned into the house.

His head throbbing, Hyde looked around at his friends briefly and then carried Jackie past them into the house.

During his descent down the basement steps, Jackie wrapped her arms around his neck. "Where are we going?"

"My room."

Once inside the familiar bedroom, Hyde laid Jackie down on his old bed, dropped to his knees, and set his forehead on her shoulder. It wasn't until now, as his adrenaline began to wane, that he realized just _how_ frozen and tired his body was. Painfully so. The muscles in his back burned from it as he began to shake, though his head was warming with Jackie's arms around it, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry," he heard her whisper. "I'm so sorry."

Far from wanting to talk about it, Hyde sat up and grabbed the blanket at the foot of the bed. He draped it over her. "Damn," he stuttered, shivering. "It's cold."

Jackie's eyes widened. "Oh, my God." She sat up, just now taking notice of his slick, battered face. "Steven." Her fingers gently touched his jaw. "Oh, baby. Why didn't you fight back?" she asked him, suddenly angrily. "You just let him beat on you."

"I wasn't going to hit him, Jackie. I'm pretty sure I did enough to the guy."

Jackie pushed her lower lip out. "Well, are you okay?"

Hyde touched her left cheek. "Yeah. Are you?"

Jackie nodded.

"Why didn't _you_ fight back?" he asked her.

"Because _I did enough to the girl_."

Hyde let a small smile escape, but made a face when he thought of the wedding, only two days away. "Crap. So, does it look really bad?"

"Sort of," she admitted regretfully, touching his lips. "Your bottom lip is cut, and you're bleeding. Here," her thumb swept across his left cheekbone, "and here." She took a deep breath. "God. This is all my fault. I should've lied to him or warned you last night."

"Or what, Jackie?" Hyde interrupted solemnly. "They were bound to find out anyway. Why not on Thanksgiving at the Formans' with everyone we know watching?" Letting his failed attempt at a joke go, he shook his head; the night was finally beginning to come into focus. "I should have been the one to tell her. This is what I get for lying."

Any other time, for any other situation, Jackie might have responded, might have given him some catty reply about how selfish he was or what a jerk he could be, but she could only watch as he breathed and closed his swollen eyes. He was neither selfish nor a jerk. His face was wearing the punishment for them both. His lips, inflamed and colored like ripe plums, his diluted blood and the guilt that was now his for another broken heart under his belt, they were the price he had paid to make love to her for two weeks, and she wondered if he would do it again, knowing.

"C'mere." Jackie thrust her downhearted body at him and wrapped his neck up tight inside her arms. Exploiting every muscle in her back, she fell back onto the bed, bringing him down with her. Years before, a history teacher had read to her class that, _Mercy for the guilty is cruelty to the innocent,_ but whoever said that was obviously an idiot. Hyde was cold, and below her, his arms slid and clutched her so tightly that she feared for her breath, but the desire to make him warm again suddenly rose above her own needs.

Pinching her eyes shut, she hugged his head with all her might and just lay with him.

Quietly watching, Kitty tip-toed in. "It's just me," she called out, causing both to look over. "We gathered some warm clothes. Laurie's got them in the dryer to heat them up. And some blankets." She raised the blankets. On top was a small, white box. "Brooke's making cocoa."

Jackie and Hyde both sat up. "Thanks," Jackie said, taking a blanket from Kitty's hands and draping it over her shoulder. She hung her head, as did Hyde when he took his blanket.

"You two…" Kitty began, disappointed, but veered from a scolding when she looked at Hyde. "Oh, Steven." She knelt down in front of him and cringed. "My poor baby."

Rejecting her sympathy, he shook his head. "I had it coming, Mrs. Forman."

"Well, maybe so, but that doesn't mean I'm going to like it," the older woman said, opening up her medical kit. "I'm not going to tell you two I told you so, because it's useless now, but…"

Laurie, with a pile of clothes in hand, walked inside timidly. "I've got the clothes." She winced at Hyde. "Jeez. Colin really walloped you good, huh?"

"Thank you for reminding him, Laurie," Kitty snapped. "Now just hand Jackie the clothes and go. Shoo, young lady."

"God, I was just saying." The blonde handed Jackie the fresh out of the dryer stack. "So, you two really…" She gestured between them. "You know."

Both Jackie and Hyde nodded, making Laurie smile dreamily. "Well, I think it's sort of romantic. A little screwy, maybe, but what great love story isn't? Just look at Joanie and Chachi."

"Laurie, out."

Laurie rolled her eyes at her mother. "Fine." Her snotty expression turned into a smile for Jackie and Hyde, though, as she strolled out, closing the door behind her.

"Alright, enough with the down faces," Kitty scolded Jackie and Hyde as she cleaned Hyde's cuts with an alcohol swab, making him recoil. "I'm not a stupid woman, you know. I see that you want to be together, but you both have a responsibility to those two people." She shook her head. "Poor Jessica. You broke her heart, Steven."

Hyde scowled as she checked the back of his head for blood. "You don't think I know that."

"Oh, I know you know that, mister, but you're a grown man now, and I just hope you realize what you have to do." Confused, Hyde frowned and waited. "You need to go see her and apologize. Not next week, not five years from now, Steven. Tonight."

Hyde shook his head. "No way. She hates me."

"Steven," Kitty practically growled. "You are too old to be running away from your problems."

"Yeah, well I'll try to talk to her when this has blown over a little."

Beside him, Jackie drew in a deep, choppy breath and stood up. "No, Steven," she asserted. Her eyes beginning to throb from all her tears. "You're going to go tonight." It wasn't a suggestion, nor was it advice; it was a demand as she peeled her icy, soaking wet clothes from her body. Her voice shook violently. Her teeth chattered. Her tears warmed her face. And in front of her, Hyde grimaced, but she locked his eyes with hers. This was important. "You're going to go find her and you're going to tell her that you're sorry, and that it wasn't her fault, and then you're going to let her know everything good you've _ever_ felt about her." Jackie pulled Laurie's warm, white sweatshirt down her torso and wiped her eyes.

Resistant, Hyde sighed. "Jackie…"

"Steven," she whispered as he watched tears roll down her cheeks, a loaded expression on her face. And it finally hit him. What he had really done to her. Where it was that he had _really_ failed.

Hyde thought about it and closed his eyes, dreading his decision as it left his mouth. "OK."

Meekly, Jackie nodded. "Okay." She wiggled into Laurie's sweatpants and sat down. "She's going to tell you she hates you, Steven, and to leave her alone," Jackie shook her head. "But don't… Okay?" Thinking back to the hours spent on her bed, crying and waiting for him, dying upon Fez's news that Hyde would not be coming, it was easy to remember the things that she had wished for. It was fair to say that, had he come, she would have tried to push him away, but on inside she would have hoped desperately that he'd stayed. She knew those feelings. Hell, she was feeling them now, but she also knew that it was too late for her. She was jaded, but Jessica, she still had a chance. "Just don't walk out until you've said everything she's ever needed to hear," Jackie added. "Promise me."

His face stinging from the alcohol, Hyde watched Jackie curl into the chair and rest her head. More and more everyday he was realizing the impact of what he had done to her. It was here. It was all around them. She carried it everywhere. So, did he. "I promise."

Kitty placed the final Band-Aid on his cheek and handed him his pile of clothes. "Here you go. Jackie will be fine here with us."

"Mrs. Forman." Clearing his throat, Hyde stood up and walked toward where Jackie sat. "Do you think we could have a minute alone?"

"Sure." Kitty packed up her things and left.

Hyde crouched in front of Jackie. "Can I just go see her tomorrow," he asked, his nervousness showing. "I'll do everything you asked. In the meantime, I need get out of here." Tentatively, he placed his hand on her outside of her thigh, testing where they were. "And I want you with me." He leaned forward and pressed his puckered lips on hers. He kissed her once and tried again, noticing that she wasn't kissing back.

"When are you going to go?" she asked when he tried again, making him slouch against her.

"Jackie, kiss me."

"Not now, Steven," Jackie shook her head and pushed him away gingerly, including his hand. "You can't wait until tomorrow. Do you know what tomorrow is? That's…" She sat up and looked him in the eye. "That's a lifetime, Steven," she explained plainly. "Do you know how long I waited in my room for you? _Forty-nine_ hours. I cried and waited. I rehearsed what I was going to say to you with my stuffed animals. God, I even rehearsed our make-up sex. I kept thinking you would come for me, even just at least to make sure I was okay. I was _so_ sure." Jackie swallowed down the urge to cry. "But you never came, and here we are." It was that final sentence that did it. They shared a knowing look. "Go."

Taking a deep breath, Hyde hesitantly stood up. "You're going to be here?" he asked her, letting the real meaning seep through in his voice as he asked another vague question. "Do you want me to come back?" _Do you want ME?_

Jackie shook her head. "No, it's okay. Just go." She smiled dimly. "I'm fine. I've got everyone here. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Dispirited by her response, Hyde turned around and made his way toward the door, dry clothes in hand.

"Steven," Jackie said, making him look back. "If you find them… you know, _together_ … I don't want to know, okay?"

Hyde nodded, having hoped she would say something else. "Yeah, okay."

* * *

Twenty-Five Minutes Later

He had no idea what he was doing. At this point, he was just flying by the seat of Red's flannel pajama pants, walking through territory that he had avoided like work.

Hyde looked up.

Her bedroom light was on.

Inside was every girl he had ever tossed aside. Every woman he had let think meant nothing to him, when it was not true at all. Many meant _something_. Even if only for a while. A few simply restored him with a kiss. A few helped him make it through the night. Even less helped him make it through the year. But this one had unwittingly given him peace, having hushed the anger inside.

Taking a deep breath to draw in some courage, Hyde walked into Jessica's apartment building, and as he journeyed her steps and came to a stop at her front door, he prepared himself for the possibility that Colin was inside. People sought each other in pain. He certainly did. But he hoped that Colin had not sought Jessica. The thought of her with someone else still stung like hell.

Hyde knocked. "Jess." When there was no answer, he rubbed his mouth nervously and pulled out her apartment key, letting himself inside. "Jess," he called again and stepped in. The house was quiet, the only light coming from the one bedroom. He took slow steps, cautious of every corner. He didn't want to stumble upon them. "Jess." He walked into her bedroom, relieved to find her alone, curled beneath her covers in tears.

"Go away."

Hyde exhaled as he walked in. "I just need to tell you something and then I'll go."

She didn't respond, only rolled away from him and curled up tighter as he sat down beside her on the bed.

"I'm not here to get you back, Jess," he admitted quietly and swallowed, feeling the intense sting that came with the realization that he would never see her again. "And I'm not saying any of this so you'll forgive me."

"Go to hell, Steven," Jessica cried softly. "Just get out. I don't want you here."

He looked down, fighting the voice in his head that told him to leave, to avoid the browbeating, deserved or not. "I wanted you to know…" Hyde closed his eyes. "I love you." He heard her begin to sob, and he opened his eyes. Her blankets were shaking, but he could barely make out her muffled sounds. Hesitantly, Hyde pulled the blankets down and scooted closer to her. Empathy. It was a bitch. It made him run his hand down her arm. "You're perfect, Jess, and you deserve a guy who's going to appreciate you, who isn't hung up on someone else."

Her eyes waterlogged and swollen, Jessica looked up at him.

"This wasn't about sex, Jess. I love her, and if I change to get her back, I'm going to go for it."

It felt like she was going to die, especially when he placed his lips on the back of her head and kissed her. At twenty-three she had never been so drawn to another person before, and never before had one been able to light her whole body on fire with one touch, or with a kiss, or with the secrets he would whisper at night. And now he was giving her his last.

"I'm sorry," Hyde whispered.

Jessica reached back and held his head to hers for a moment, taking a mental snapshot of how he felt. She felt another one of his kisses fall on her shoulder, making her cry harder.

"Just go," Jessica begged, letting go of him. "Please… God… Go…"

Hyde stood up, watching her as he backed away. There had always been something about her. Something that he liked. But she wasn't for him. And she deserved better. Accepting it as truth, he took a few steps toward the door before stopping briefly, deciding to give his thoughts a voice for once. "I'll miss you," he admitted and waited, just in case.

He heard a sniffle. "I'll miss you, too."

Hyde shut his eyes and then quickly left before he could change his mind.

She was beautiful, and generous, and kind, and, as he placed his copy of her key on her key hook and locked the door to her apartment, he wondered why she hadn't been enough. Guys fell over themselves for her attention, but she had loved _him_ , over them all. Even with all his faults, she had been unreasonably patient. In fact, save Jackie, patience tended to be a virtue in all the women who had loved him, for he was slower than most when it came to these things. But he was learning, and what he learned tonight, as he stepped back out into the rain, was one thing. There was something else entirely inside the girl he had given this up for, something exceptional. He learned that the best parts of himself, all the things he _could_ be, were locked inside her demanding heart, and when _it_ broke, so then had he.

* * *

 **Gino's Bar**

 **One Hour Later**

 _"The Man Who Sold the World" by David Bowie plays from a jukebox in the corner._

Straight ahead of Hyde sat Colin, despondent and drowning himself in beer and what looked like several shots of whiskey. Hyde knew immediately that they were more alike than he had ever wanted to believe. A hell of a lot more. Musingly, he watched Colin, who didn't smoke, light a cigarette and drink from his beer. He watched his _enemy_ drop his head into his hands. He was in love, and this was his Vegas, a hole-in-the-wall bar in Milwaukee.

A frumpy middle-aged bartender played the stripper. Hyde never felt such envy.

Inside his pocket was a book of soggy matches, dropped in the rain on the Forman driveway. _Gino's Bar_ , it read. After dealing with Jessica, Hyde had made the trip, his head pounding, his face aching, knowing what he'd find. Colin was drunk, and pissed-off, but he still wanted her, and Hyde suspected that she stilled wanted him. But there was one problem: Hyde wanted her, too. And so, it was, he had three choices. He could turn around and walk away, he could abandon self-interest and get her 'dream' back for her or he could fight for her...


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: What It Takes**

 **Music:**

When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge

* * *

And when your fears subside  
And shadows still remain  
I know that you can love me  
When there's no one left to blame _  
_

* * *

 _September 3, 1984_

 _Labor Day_

 _Subsisting in various forms of intoxication, Hyde aimed his laughter at the ceiling. "That was the best 'Worst Day Ever." He wiped a couple of tears away. "And Kelso just kept running, man. He hauled ass, right past the house." His jollity fanned out through the condominium that held nearly forty people, but the sound that traveled was quickly swallowed up by music and chatter. All that filled Hyde's awareness, though, as he lay on the couch, was that ceiling; fuzzy, but still there. Enter Jessica's exasperated face, upside down to him as she leaned over the back of the sofa._

" _Steven, I don't think you can get any higher."_

" _Oh, I could get higher," Hyde quickly assured her._

" _I must agree," Eric cut in, pointing at Fez's ceiling from his spot on the floor. "The Great Cafeteria Circle of '76."_

 _Beside him, and disagreeing emphatically, Fez shook his head. "No. That circle was terrible. Edna kept skipping my turn. That greedy bitch hated me."_

 _Kelso waved them both off. "No. No. That time Jackie dumped Hyde, and he was all ready to kill himself and the CIA showed up to arrest us. Now those were some kick ass circles."_

" _What," Hyde grimaced. "I wasn't going to kill myself."_

" _I distinctly remember you saying you were going to kill yourself," Kelso reiterated._

" _Man, shut up. I did not. I probably said I was going to kill you for calling the freakin' White House."_

 _Kelso smiled, intrigued by the sudden recollection. "Oh, yeah."_

 _Hyde looked up and grinned at his girlfriend. "I wasn't going to kill myself. I was a little depressed. That's all."_

 _Eric laughed. "Man, you were devastated. Jackie, can we talk? Jackie, you want to talk…"_

 _As his friends mocked him and mimicked the past, Hyde watched Jessica lips and jaw tighten. Steam practically flamed from her nostrils. "I'll be over there," she said and stormed away._

 _Raising his head, Hyde looked at his friends. "Whoops," he uttered as they all burst out into laughter…_

* * *

 **Twelve Weeks Later**

 **Friday, November 30, 1984**

 **4:30 PM**

One foot in front of the other, a sober Steven Hyde made his way up the Kelso driveway and onto the porch. He knocked and, like any other day, was greeted with an open door and a smile; except today he felt like a king, or a giant or something as they danced around him and sang their creepy songs.

"Uncle Hyde?"

Hyde shifted his attention to his one and only Godchild, her long, brunette hair wrapped in pink curlers. "What's up, Betsy?"

"Did Uncle Colin beat you up?"

"Uhh…" Hyde looked around. Not a grown-up in sight. Not many women could cause him to panic, but this little cherub-faced one could send him into a tailspin. "No?"

"Then what happened to your face," she demanded to know, a stubborn frown pushing him to answer.

"Um." He looked down to his right at the big brown eyes of Bradley, and beside him, the blue ones of the new kid, both staring up at him in unison, questioning, wanting to know the answer, too. "Uhh…Well, Uncle Hyde drank too much beer last night and fell down, and Uncle Colin tried to help me up, but…uh, it was too slippery, 'cause, you know, of the rain, and I, uh, kept falling down on my face over and over again." He grinned in punctuation.

"Is that why Auntie Jackie was crying?" Betsy continued with her interrogation, having heard the whispers from the grown-ups the night before. "Because she was sad that you hurt yourself?"

"She was crying?"

Betsy nodded. "When you were carrying her. Why were you carrying her? Was she hurt, too?"

"No," Hyde responded and began to look around for their parents, trapped, though, as his miniature entourage followed him through the house and demanded answers. "Well, yeah," he said. "Auntie Jackie slipped in the rain and hurt her leg, but she's all good, now. That's why I was carrying her… Kelso!"

"Uncle Eric told Grandpa Red that you nailed Auntie Jackie and that that's why Uncle Colin was mad. Is that true? Was there a nail in her leg?"

"No…Yes, there was a nail... in her leg... Kelso!"

"Did you put it there like Uncle Eric said?"

"Alright, you guys," a female voice cut in. "Leave Uncle Hyde alone before he slips and falls on his face again." Hyde looked over to see Christie and sighed in relief as she clapped her hands together. "Ducktales is on. Go. Go."

"Ducktales!" The kids took off running.

"Thanks," Hyde offered and stepped toward her. "You should put them to work for the CIA. They're pretty thorough."

Christie nodded. "Last night really upset them."

"Crap. Did they see?"

"No," she responded and gestured with her head for him to follow her through the kitchen. "But I think they sensed that everyone was upset, and someone named Kitty was crying."

Deciding to hold his tongue, Hyde followed the frail girl through the house and casually checked it for evidence of his favorite brunette.

"Where are we going?" he asked, taking note of the fact that they were heading to the other side of the house.

"The garage, where Eric and Michael are hiding."

"Hiding? From what?"

"Brooke and probably the kids," Christie laughed and opened the garage door, walking away as Hyde stepped inside. The sight that greeted him was pathetic as hell and he had to grimace at his friends as they rolled around on children's toys.

"What the hell are you guys doing?"

Eric stopped, his mouth falling open. "Oh, man. Your face."

"Whoa," Kelso stopped, too, "Colin really messed you up good, man. You alright?"

"I'm fine." Hyde stepped inside.

Kelso rammed his Big Wheel into Eric's. "Better not let Brooke see your face like that. She's liable to kill you."

"Yeah. So, uh, what are you guys doing in here anyway?" Hyde asked. "Let's go in the basement."

"Can't," Kelso explained dolefully as Eric rammed him back. "The chicks are in there. They're everywhere, man."

"Grab a Big Wheel and close the door," Eric directed him. "They can't know where we are, and we have a deal with Christie. She's not going to tell."

Hyde closed the door and grabbed the closest Big Wheel. "So, what's up with her anyway?" he asked Kelso, sitting down on the back of the small seat like his friends. "She living here now?"

"Yeah, I guess," Kelso shrugged as he peeled the stickers from a Rubik's Cube. "It's cool, though. She's actually a really cool girl, and Brooke thinks she should stay until... you know."

"But it's not your kid."

"Yeah, we decided to take him anyway. I ran his dad's plates. He's a real tool."

The room fell silent as the subject, by its very awkward nature, decided to change itself.

"So…uh," Hyde cleared his throat. "Why are we hiding from the chicks?"

"Brooke's out of her damn mind, man," Kelso grumbled. "She's freaking out about the wedding and something about her shoe straps and some list, and I don't see what the big deal is, but she keeps yelling at me. So now, I live in the garage."

"See, you could have just avoided this by running away like I did," Eric grinned. "They eventually get over it, and then, make-up sex."

"Man, this is your house, Kelso," Hyde argued. "You can't let a bunch of broads run you out of it. You pay for it."

"Hyde. Look at me," Kelso sat forward. "Do I look like I have any control over this place, or anything in my life, at all?"

"Uh…No."

"Thank you."

"So, what's going on with you?" Eric asked.

Hyde grinned wide. "Just came from Groove's Headquarters. I got W.B. to agree to sell me the North Milwaukee store," he nodded. "Oh _, and_ I found five bucks on the ground."

"Kick ass," Kelso smiled. "Let me see."

Hyde showed Kelso the crumbled bill as Eric frowned.

"You're moving to Milwaukee, man?"

"Yeah," Hyde shoved the money back in his coat pocket. "I figure if I'm going to try and get Jackie back, it'll be a lot easier from here."

Eric and Kelso looked at each other. "What are you talking about, man?" Kelso laughed. "You took an ass whooping for that chick. You're in like Flynn. Milk it for all it's worth."

"I'm not in like anything, especially not Flynn," Hyde admitted angrily. "That's why I'm here; to find out what the hell's going on with her…I don't know what to do anymore. She's acting all, _Steven, things are complicated_ and _Steven, I have to think about my future_. Everything's in goddamn girl code. One minute she wants me and the next, I don't know."

"Ain't that just like a chick, and if you don't know the code, you're screwed. Only gay dudes can translate." All three shared a look. "And Fez," Kelso added.

Eric rolled himself toward Hyde. "Look, Hyde. Here's the thing, man, that I've been trying to tell you since we were kids," he said just as Hyde began to realize that his best friend was high as shit. "When you love a girl, really love her, man, you have to do what it takes to make sure she knows it, or she'll _stomp_ all over your heart." At that, Kelso nodded and continued to listen along with Hyde. "I know—I mean I don't know _why_ —but you _must_ be in love with Jackie, man. Because Jessica was hot."

"And she gave us free food, dude," Kelso cut in, still working his Rubik's Cube.

Eric nodded and laid his hand on Hyde's shoulder. "And she gave us free food… And you gave all that up for Jackie. So, man, just let her know how you feel and she'll..." Eric hiccupped, "she'll come around. I promise." At that, Eric wheeled back to his original spot and pointed at his friend. "You want her," he told him sternly. "You do what you've gotta do to get her. It's part of the bro code, man! All's fair in love and thumb wars."

Hyde grimaced. "How much did you guys smoke today?"

"You don't even want to know, man," Kelso shook his head.

 _"What the hell?"_

Hyde, Kelso and Eric looked over, a little shocked to be busted so quickly.

"This is where you guys have been?" Donna shouted. Beside her, Brooke seethed at her fiancé, until she saw Hyde's face.

"Oh, my God," she blurted and brought her hand to her mouth. "My wedding photos!"

Hyde scrunched his face. "Oh, yeah, sorry."

"Are you alright," Donna asked him.

"I'm fine," he said, glancing behind her, waiting for Jackie to emerge. The wedding was in discussion, so she was bound to be within ear shot. "It does hurt a lot, though," he baited. Of course, though, at that, Kelso winked, ever so obviously, making Hyde kick him. "Hurts pretty bad!"

"Ow!"

Her lips stiff, Brooke shook her head at Hyde. "I have your tux in from the tailor. You need to try it on."

"You don't have to have me in the pictures, Brooke. I don't mind."

"You're the best-man, and Michael, where is that chart I handed you?"

Excitedly, Kelso pulled a crumbled piece of paper form his pocket and held it out.

"Did you even look at it?"

"Not yet."

Brooke narrowed her eyes; her jaw clenched in anger. "I have my cousin landing in two hours, Michael. Three kids running around. An unfinished seating chart to deal with. I can't find my Grandmother's silver earrings. You still need a haircut! And your mother is driving me crazy about something freaking blue! The least you can do is..."

"Hyde's face should be blue by tomorrow," Kelso offered.

"Michael!"

Donna spun around and grabbed Brooke. "Okay. Let's just calm down. I'll talk to Marie, and we'll all …"

Kelso and Eric shared another look. Brooke was getting worse. But Hyde didn't care; he only frowned as the two women talked over by the door. He looked behind them again and couldn't help but notice that Jackie was nowhere in sight. "Where's Jackie?" he asked, searching behind them some more as he stood up.

Donna turned around. "Jackie?"

"Yeah. You know. Brown hair. Big mouth. Like, four feet tall. _Jackie_."

"She's not with _you_?"

"What?" Hyde grimaced. "No. I thought she was with you."

"Didn't you take her home last night?"

"No." Hyde turned to Kelso. "She said you guys would take her home."

"We haven't seen her since the fight," Brooke cut in. " _We assumed_ _you_ took her home."

"I didn't." Hyde stepped toward the two girls. "I had something I had to do, so I left her with you guys at the Formans. I called her work this morning, her house. Nobody answered. Have any of you heard from her at all?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Well, where the hell is she then?" He looked around at bemused faces. He turned to Jackie's best friend and then to her other best friend. "Where would she go?"

Brooke shook her head ruefully, the realization of Hyde's concern hitting her. "I don't know."

Hyde blew past Donna and Brooke and headed for the front door.

* * *

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Six Minutes Later**

 **4:55 PM**

The fall nights were bearing down on Wisconsin much sooner now. It was just before five o'clock in the evening when the sun dipped below the horizon on this, the last day of November, 1984.

Slamming the door to the El Camino, Hyde searched Jackie's parking lot, watching as his breath left him. The air had that crisp scent of oncoming winter, blended with an inviting aroma of burning wood and ice. It was going to be a cold winter if he didn't get this right. He didn't see Colin's car, but he did see Jackie's. He walked over and pressed his palm to the hood. It was cold and coated in frost. It hadn't moved all day. Hyde looked up at the windows of her apartment. No lights.

Anxious to find out what was going on, Hyde made his way up her stairs and to her front door, pulling out the house key she had given him weeks before and shoving it in the doorknob.

Her apartment had been quiet—no sad music, no pillow talk, no laughter, no tears, only the monotonous sigh of her own breathing. Now, there was Hyde, calling her name, and the jingling of keys. But she couldn't move, and she lacked the energy to answer his calls. Like a rotted-out log, she lay on her side, staring into the void that was her life. Once upon a time, Jacqueline Beulah Burkhart had been a shining star, shooting across the sky in a bright, flashing light that lit up the lackluster streets of Point Place, Wisconsin. When she was a little girl, they all told her, shouted it from the rooftops, that Jackie Burkhart was special, extraordinary, a sparkling diamond in the rough. And she'd believed them. Why wouldn't she? There were trophies to prove their claims—Cutest Cheerleader, Prettiest Ballerina, Foxiest Freshman, and the list went on and on... For as long as she could remember, the boys wanted her; the girls wanted to be her. There was not a single doubt in her mind that she would grow up to stand above the rest, high above the clouds, defying gravity.

But down on earth, far below the atmosphere, reality loomed. The air didn't smell so free down here. Lights didn't shine so bright. And neither did she. It had all been a lie. There was nothing special about Jackie Burkhart. She wasn't a shining star. She was... _average._

"Jackie," Hyde said, stepping inside her bedroom. Receiving no response, he made his way toward her bed. "Hey."

Her mouth was mushed against the pillow, but she didn't move. "Hey."

"Where've you been?" he asked, sitting down on the bed. His tone was sweet, gentle. "Everyone's searching for you."

"Then everyone's terrible at searching, because I've been right here the whole time.

"Why aren't you answering your phone?"

Jackie shrugged.

After huffing in frustration, Hyde untied his boots and crawled under the mangled covers with her, propping his head on his palm to stare at her.

"Your face looks awful." Her chin puckering, Jackie reached out to touch him. "Brooke's going to lose her mind."

"She already did." Hyde took her hand from his cheek and kissed it. "How did you get home last night?"

"Laurie."

"Oh." Surprised, Hyde forced in a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't come by. I assumed you got a ride home with Brooke and Kelso. But I tried to call."

Jackie nodded. "You know who didn't call?" she said. "Colin. He hates me, Steven."

Hyde didn't appear to like that very much, rolling his eyes a bit, but still, he pulled her into a hug and said, "He doesn't hate you, Jackie. Pretty far from it actually. He went to a bar, wallowed in about sixty shots of whiskey, and then went home alone. He's freakin' miserable, okay?"

Frowning at the news, Jackie propped herself up. "Wait, how do you know all that?"

"Because I followed him," Hyde admitted wretchedly. "I wanted to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, like nail a stripper or get himself killed. I don't need that crap on my conscience, and I want you to choose me because you want to be with me, not because Colin screwed up or drove his car over a cliff or something."

Jackie watched him carefully as he spoke. As usual, he wore a tough facade, but he was confessing to the sweetest thing she'd ever heard. He was good at his crux. She'd known it all along. "Oh, Steven..."

"Can we talk about it," he asked her. "About us."

Tensing, Jackie shook her head and flopped down to hide against him again. "Not right now, Steven. Please. I don't have the energy for any of that today. Please, just hold me. Please stay."

A kiss landed on the crown of her head. "I'm not going anywhere, Jackie."

"Did you go to Jessica last night?"

"Yeah."

Jackie was quiet for a moment, wanting to ask. But she hesitated, not sure she wanted the answer. She looked up. "Did you stay the night with her?"

"No," Hyde said, making eye contact. A placid frown crinkled his forehead, and he shook his head. "I said what I had to say and left. _You_ asked me to go there."

"I know," Jackie snuggled against him again, her arms crossing over her chest. "Did you give her closure?"

"I don't know," Hyde said.

"How was she?"

"Can we not talk about her? I want to know how _you_ are."

"I'm..." There were no words to illustrate the opaque cloud of sorrow that had settled over her, smothering her in its oblivion. She felt lifeless on the inside, disoriented, and on the outside, the husk of her former self lay rotting. But all she said was, "I don't know."

"Come on, Jackie," Hyde said, giving her a squeeze. "I know last night sucked, but it's over now. We can forget about it and move on."

"Forget about it?" Jackie sneered. Sitting up, she looked down at his staggered, bruised face. "Move on? Are you kidding? Did you hear what he said? Did you see how he looked at me when he said it? Did you see your girlfriend slap me in front of everyone? They _said_ nothing, but I know what they were thinking. For all my big talk, all my boasting about what _Jackie Burkhart_ was going to make of herself, what do I have? Nothing. I'm not a famous actress; I'm not a news anchor; I'm not even a weather girl, not a beauty queen. I'm not rich, not married. I'm alone. Brooke and Michael are getting married tomorrow. Donna and Eric have been engaged for, like, a hundred years. Even Fez is talking about proposing to Amy. Laurie's life, Steven— _Laurie's_ —is closest to mine, and she's a home wrecking slut. And I'm not saying that to be mean. She spent the whole drive telling me about the married banker who just dumped her because his wife found out. You know what she said?" She paused, waiting, but Hyde looked too stunned to speak. "Well, let me tell you. She said, her break-up was just like what happened with you and me. She was trying to bond with me over it—Bond! Over our mutual whoriness!—and then I realized, Steven, that she was right, that Jessica was right. I _am_ a snake! I _am_ a whore!"

"Oh, come on." Hyde sat up. "You are not a snake, and you're not a whore. Laurie's a lunatic, and Jessica was pissed off, man. But can you blame her?" His expression shifted from one of indignation to one of sympathy. With so much tenderness, he cupped her face in his hands. "Look, she shouldn't have slapped you. Screw them all, Jackie. Screw what they think. They don't matter."

Jackie shook her head. "But they do, Steven. And they all know. They've been around me my whole life. They've been trying to tell me all along," she said, breaking into tears. "But I didn't want to believe it. _I_ 'm pathetic. I'm a bad person, and I deserve everything horrible that happens to me. Everyone else is out there making their dreams come true, except for me. Even _you_ , and you aren't even trying."

"Jackie, my life is a wreck right now."

"But you'll be alright, Steven. You're plucky and strong. You practically grew up in a dumpster, and look at you now."

"Come on; this isn't like you. You're supposed to be the cheery, optimistic one of our group. It's what annoys us most about you." His blue eyes widened with encouragement. "I mean, come on, man, you won perkiest cheerleader."

"Another lie," she sobbed out. "It's all a sham."

Hyde grabbed her arms. "Will you cut the crap already? You're better than this."

"No, I'm not." Jackie shook her head. "I couldn't even compete with a Las Vegas skank who thought it was totally appropriate to paint her toenails on the kitchen table, Steven." The very thought of it, of what had been bothering her all these years: the humiliation that was hers that a vapid pole-dancer, a stranger, deserved _her_ dream, deserved _his_ commitment, more than she did, and nobody, not even her best friend, seemed surprised. The thorny boulder of a feeling sank deeper into the middle of her chest, and that hollowness ballooned. She'd spent years acting unaffected, pretending as though her life was fairytale-perfect, but after the previous night, she was depleted of the strength needed to maintain the lie. She was a fraud, she would die alone, and now everyone knew it, including her. In the midst of that thought, she crawled over to Hyde and collapsed against him, closing her eyes in relief when he gathered her up and lay her down. For a moment, in his arms, it felt like everything might be alright. If only, she could stay here forever. "Will you take me somewhere, Steven?"

"I'll take you anywhere you want to go, babe."

* * *

 _September 3, 1984_

" _Ready… Set… Blow!" Wrapping his lips around the plastic tube, Fez giggled and drew in a deep breath, blowing out as hard as he could and sending a little red, plastic ball high into an adjoining tube. Hyde's smoke followed the ball's upward journey._

 _"Get ready!" Kelso yelled. "Ready!"_

" _I am ready!" Hyde shouted. "Shut up!"_

" _Ready!"_

" _Kelso!"_

" _READY!"_

 _The ball rocketed from the top of the tube and in rushed Hyde's hit, deep into his lungs._

 _Everyone gasped and then paused, waiting._

" _Wait? Did it work" Eric asked with concern._

" _I don't see the smoke anywhere." Kelso leaned down and studied Hyde, who simply stared back at him strangely. "I think it did. He's not yelling at me to get away from him or hitting me or anything." A mischievous smile grew over Kelso's lips, and he poked Hyde between the eyes, earning himself no reaction, only a slight glare. Kelso nodded. "Yeah, it's in there."_

" _Look at him," Fez smiled, amazed. "He's about to burst."_

" _Steven."_

 _Growing wide-eyed, all four men, including Hyde, who was full of smoke, looked over._

 _Jessica folded her arms. "What are you doing?"_

" _He's holding it," Fez answered for his friend. "Shhh."_

 _Incensed, the blond tossed up her hands at Hyde. "Why can't I just have a normal boyfriend?"_

 _Hyde shrugged just as his attention was stolen away by the two people that passed behind his girlfriend, walking hand in hand toward the back patio. They rarely came to these things; in fact, he hadn't seen her since summer. Hyde blew out his smoke. Of course, she looked hot. Of course._

* * *

 **Oakdale Cemetery**

 **Kenosha, Wisconsin**

 **5:51 PM**

Jackie's attention moved from Hyde, sweeping their way down to the cold grass below, prompting Hyde to toss out her checkered blanket and lay it to the ground.

"Thank you." Her expression sobering into concern, Jackie knelt and sat down on her calves before presenting her basket of newly-purchased flowers to the headstone in front of her. "I'm really sorry I didn't visit yesterday, Daddy. Something came up." She looked at Hyde and patted the blanket. "Sit with me, Steven," she insisted, watching as he sat down beside her. "Daddy, you remember, Steven. We used to date."

Hyde was silent, forgetting for a moment what she had asked him to do, until she glowered and made him remember. "Oh…" Clearing his throat, he straightened up. "Uh, hi, Mr. Burkhart. It's good to see you again," he said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Thank you, Steven." Rubbing his knee, Jackie smiled. "Now, I know you don't like Steven very much, Daddy, but I promise you, he's changed. He's no longer most of those horrible names I called him." Dropping to her butt, Jackie sighed and grabbed a flower from his basket. "God, Daddy, I'm having the worst day of my life. Colin left me. He proposed like I'd hoped he would. I was a fiancé for seven whole days. But…Well, Steven and I…" Jackie took a deep breath, "we did a really bad thing, Daddy. _Lots_ of really bad, really dirty, things." She set her sights on Hyde. "Should I tell him?"

Hyde looked around the dark cemetery. "Why the hell not?"

Agreeing, Jackie turned sternly toward her father's epithet. "We had a torrid affair, Daddy. Like the kind in Dynasty, which, by the way, got even more scandalous after you died." Hyde rolled his eyes away. "But we're still in love, and I don't know what to do. So, I could really use a sign from you."

It hadn't been expected. Hyde was mentally prepared for her tearful repent, so those words, that confession, it made him smile.

"I'm terrified, Daddy. I don't want to end up alone. Or like Mom, who I _still_ haven't heard from," she groused, then looked over at Hyde. "Sit behind me, Steven. It's cold."

Obliging, Hyde crawled behind her and sat down, pulling her between his spread legs. Warmth spread quickly as he wrapped her waist tightly inside his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder, content to act as mantle. He didn't know why they were here, but _she_ seemed to know and that was good enough.

While they sat in silence, Hyde read her father's marble stone for the first time.

 _Jack B. Burkhart. 1930 – 1981. Beloved Father_.

Hyde closed his eyes in shame. "I'm sorry I didn't come to the funeral," he muttered in her ear, letting it sink in what an asshole he had been back then, how irrationally pissed-off he had allowed himself to become at her. It was a miracle he was still permitted this close to her. A fucking _miracle_. A tighter squeeze probably wasn't going to stop the tearful little quakes of her torso, but it was worth a shot. The harder he hugged her, the more she would know how sorry he was. It was his only thought. "Jackie…" Hyde placed his lips on her ear. "All that's done, okay? It's never going to be that way again. I promise..."

* * *

 _September 3, 1984_

" _Hey." Hyde poked Jessica in the small of her back, making her turn around. "What's your problem? Why are you mad at me?"_

" _I'm not," the blonde replied curtly. "It would just be nice to go to one party where you actually hung out with me instead of your friends, getting high and acting like a sixteen-year-old at his first kegger."_

" _What are you talking about? We're hanging out right now."_

" _We're fighting right now."_

" _You're fighting. I'm drinking my beer." He raised his can with a grin. "See."_

 _His response, though, quickly earned him a huff, and he was actually surprised when she walked away. He thought the world of her, but she was always such a downer at parties._

 _Shrugging, Hyde turned around and searched out the keg._ " _I'll just be over here…"_

* * *

 **7:27 PM**

 **El Camino**

 **Somewhere Just Outside of Milwaukee**

Hyde glanced to his right just in time to witness a brilliant smile wash over Jackie's face, appearing in sync with the flickering glow of thousands of white Christmas lights.

"Steven, pull over."

He did, and when he hit the brakes, bringing his car to a stop, Jackie swung open the door and flew out, her feet hitting the ground running.

"Where are you doing?" Hyde threw the gear in park, scowling as he jumped out, too. "Jackie." He watched her hit a waist-high white picket fence and turn around with animated eyes.

"Oh, Steven, the Christmas tree are out!"

Hyde shut the car door, holding out his hands as he walked around to where she stood. "So?"

"Every year," she explained, "the weekend after Thanksgiving, I put up my Christmas tree. I can't do it tomorrow because of the wedding. Will you help me? Do you have money on you?"

"Maybe." Wanting to keep that smile on her face, Hyde reached into his pockets and searched them before pulling out his wallet to see if there was anything left after their trip to the flower shop. "Crap." Inside it, he found his last twenty-dollar bill. "How much are they?"

Jackie turned herself in a complete circle to look and shrugged. "I don't know, but that should be enough."

"Jackie…" Hyde walked over. "Are you alright? I mean, do you really need a Christmas tree _right_ this second?"

Jackie nodded. "Yes."

Getting close enough to kiss her, Hyde let his concern show, but Jackie stepped forward and cuffed her arms around his waist.

"Decorating them makes me happy, Steven, and I really need to feel a little happiness right now. Do you remember how happy I'd get when you'd would let me dress _you up_?" Pulling out her ace, Jackie stuck out her bottom lip. "Please."

Taking a deep breath, Hyde traveling far back to a time when those big eyes and those pouting lips could make him do the devil's bidding. He remembered the energetic schemes that drove her in circles around his bedroom, searching for bolos and ties and button-up shirts, making him crazy.

"Okay," he agreed, earning himself a bright smile and a kiss on the cheek. "What, that's it? That's all I get? A lousy kiss on the cheek?"

"No." Jackie rose to her tip toes, her eyes open, holding his open, too, as she touched her lips to his. "Thank you," she whispered and gave him a slow, deep kiss to follow, carelessly buckling and melting like warm putty as she did. It was this little touch, these little moments that were holding her to him. It had been that way all month. A kiss here, one of his smiles there, had built the tiny, unbreakable thread between them. And she realized that it was _him_ who refused to let it weaken. He was determined to unravel her perfectly planned life, because the next thing she knew, she was buried inside his embrace, feeling so warm.

"Let's hurry," she heard him whisper and felt him drag her earlobe between his teeth, giving her a rolling chill. "It's cold out here." Then he had her left hand, and they entered McCray's Tree Farm.

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

Meant to be. It was an expression dear to Jackie's heart. Everything with molecules had its 'meant to be' partner, its perfect match. Even trees, she convinced herself as she strolled a perfectly-carved aisle lined with a hundred Balsam Firs.

There was one in here made just for her.

"Jackie, just pick one so we can go."

Jackie turned around and tossed her impatient ex-boyfriend a wayward glance. "This is not something that can be rushed, Steven." She continued to meander through the veritable maze of trees while Hyde, bored and grumpy, followed. "Choosing a Christmas tree is almost as important as choosing a mate. It's a very delicate process."

"Oh, sure." Behind her, Hyde pinched his lips in irritation. "Why don't you use the same criteria you used to choose Kelso then: tall, skinny, and always cheating on you."

Jackie feigned an amused laugh as he grinned at her. "You're so funny, Steven. How about instead I use all those attributes I found special in you: aloof, prickly, and _begging to be kicked_."

Hyde grinned. "Ah, but you liked that I was prickly."

Jackie opened her mouth, but wisely changed her mind. "That's true." As she flipped her hair and turned her head, fate struck her puffy eyes. She gasped. "That's the one," she yelled out happily and ran toward a majestically well-endowed, seven-foot Balsam Fir. "My Christmas tree!" Inspecting its branches, Jackie squealed and clapped. "Oh, Steven. It's perfect!"

"It's also thirty bucks," Hyde added dourly, checking its tag. "You can't have it."

"Steven." Jackie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "If you really love me, you'll _find_ a way for me to have it."

Hyde grimaced. "What? So, if I don't produce thirty dollars out of the thin air, I must not care about you?"

Unapologetic, and being a little unfair, she knew, Jackie nodded. "Exactly."

Hyde grimaced at her.

"Oh, come on, Steven," she pouted, making her best attempt to tempt and placate him at the same time. "You steal stuff all the time, and you _know_ how hot it gets me when you do bad things for me."

Hyde nodded. "Yeah, but see I ate a big lunch so I doubt that _that_ tree is going to fit into _these_ jeans. Sorry."

Sulking, Jackie dropped her act and kept walking. "Oh, forget it."

"Just pick another tree. What about this one?" Hyde asked, pointing to a smaller tree to her right. "It's green. It has branches."

Briefly, Jackie eyed the thing, allowing her foul mood to augment as she shot Hyde a haughty look. " _That_ one," she said. "It's leaning over like _you_ at one of Fez's parties."

"Aw, come on," he argued and made a move for his pick, giving it a once-over. "It's not that bad. It may not be as nice as that one but…"

"Steven," Jackie laughed at his naiveté. From birth, he had been such a simpleton. He couldn't help it. It was his trashy mother's fault. " _This_ one is perfect," she explained, gesturing to the admirable tree to her left. "Yours," she continued, pointing to the pathetic one in Hyde's hand, "is pitiful. It's for poor people. It's crooked, it's not very tall, and, look, it's got bald spots. The brunette shook her head. "Trust me, Steven. No one wants that tree."

"Well, someone has to take it," Hyde contended, looking at the pitiable choice that was growing on him. "If we don't take it, no one will. It'll just get thrown away."

"Good," Jackie announced. "It's unsightly and scrawny. Maybe Donna will want it."

"Yeah, well," Hyde checked its price tag. "It's also twenty bucks." In an attempt to make her understand, he pulled out his wallet and showed her, first hand, the budget, and, evidently, the worth of his love. "It's all I have with me, Jackie. Do you have any money on you?"

"Well, no," Jackie answered sadly and reverted back to a slight pout. "God, there has to be something else for twenty dollars." Nearby, she noticed an employee pushing a cart stacked with tree stands. "Excuse me," she smiled, putting her best 'upstanding customer' face on. "Hi. I'm Jackie, and I am looking for the _perfect_ Christmas tree. You know, tall, really thick and green with nice, soft needles, and I have twenty dollars to spend. Could you just point me in the right direction? Thanks."

"Yeah, sure," the man responded listlessly and pointed behind her. "That guy's got it."

Jackie turned around to see Hyde grin and wave, his dismal twenty-dollar tree in hand. She returned to the man, whose name, according to his name tag, was Earl. "Pardon me, Earl. But I don't like that tree. It's shabby, and it's all wrong."

"Yeah, well, it's all I got for twenty bucks, sweetheart. Most of them are $25. The really nice ones are $30."

Hyde pointed at Earl. "I'll give you eighteen for this one," he said, lifting up his shabby tree, " _if_ you throw in one of those stands you got there."

"I'll even throw in some rope," Earl said, plucking a tree-stand from the top of a pile and exchanging it for Hyde's twenty-dollar bill. "I'll be back with your receipt."

"Wait." Jackie frowned. "No." Her head moved from man to man as the two made their exchange. "But I don't want that tree," she complained and watched Earl walk away. "Hey! Earl! You get back here right now! We don't want this tree! We want that other one! It's perfect!"

"I can't afford the other one, Jackie," Hyde said and handed her the tree-stand. "Look, if you want to come back on Sunday, I'll get you the better tree."

Jackie shook her head. "You know what? It's fine." Taking her new stand, she headed for the parking lot. "I'll be in the car."

Realizing the level of her disappointment, Hyde slouched. "Jackie, come on. It's just a tree." But she kept walking and, as she did, it hit him that he might have screwed up again. All she wanted was a stupid Christmas tree, and he couldn't even make that happen for her. He had, once again, come up short.

Hyde grabbed the tree and followed her. "Crap…"

* * *

 **Jackie's Apartment**

 **Fifteen Minutes Later**

 **8:02 PM**

Why did she always have dreams of flying? She was terrified of extreme heights, and she hated clouds. One would assume, by the way people talked, that flying was beautiful or wondrous, but she always woke as if from nightmare: dewy and petrified.

"Jackie."

Her fear as genuine as her Prada handbag, Jackie looked up, adjusting the two brown grocery bags in her arms. "Yeah?"

Staring at her, Hyde's face blanched. "Crap," he muttered and let the tree go slack in his hand. "I'll take it back."

"No," Jackie shook her head. "No, Steven. That tree I wanted, it belongs with a family. You know, a couple kids who wake up early and shake their parents awake, trying to coax them out of bed to open presents, coming down the stairs to that perfect tree. It belongs with them."

"Damn it." Hyde turned around and went for the front door. "I'll be back in a couple hours."

"No," she stopped him. "Don't leave. _This_ is my tree, and I want to decorate it."

"You don't want it, Jackie."

"No, I do now," Jackie explained with a soft smile. "You were right. If we don't take it, no one else will. Plus, let's face it. I can make _anything_ pretty. Will you set it up in the stand for me while I change?"

Hyde dropped his head. "Yeah."

Feeling nauseated suddenly, Jackie overlooked the distressed expression on Hyde's battered face and walked into her room to sit down on her bed. There, she struggled to keep her sadness at bay. She was just so tired, and the air around her felt suffocating, like in a bad dream, one she could not rouse herself from. She knew she was acting like a spoiled brat, being demanding and irrational, but she this melancholy was threatening to overwhelm her.

* * *

Jackie's Living Room

"God damn it!"

Jackie cocked her head to the side, curious at the way his legs kicked like a child in mid tantrum, his upper torso camouflaged by tree branches.

"Crap!"

"What's wrong, Steven?"

"This damn stand is broken," he grumbled. "Two of the legs are shorter than the others. I should go back and kick Earl's ass!"

"Is the tree in?"

"Yeah… But I'm going to have to shave the tree trunk down, otherwise it'll be crooked."

"But it's perfect," Jackie said in awe. "Look at it."

"What?" Hyde crawled out from under Jackie's new Christmas tree and stood beside her in the lamplight, frowning curiously. "Huh… It's straight."

Jackie nodded, curious. "It was crooked at the tree farm. But here, it's straight."

"It's 'cause that piece of crap stand is crooked, too," he explained and looked over at her, dressed in a pink satin robe. "You look nice."

Jackie smiled. "Thank you."

He took in another eyeful of her body and swallowed down any more words that might slip out, turning as he decided that walking away would be best. He didn't want to smother or push her when she wasn't ready. "I'm going to go make dinner…"

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

The visual melody of twinkling Christmas lights brought on a smile that Jackie could feel everywhere. She could crash and die right here and enter the next life gratified, because for the span of a dozen heartbeats, the child inside her forgot about the ills that plagued adulthood. Right now, there were only colored Christmas lights to highlight the darkness, while in her kitchen, Steven Hyde cursed at hot oil in his mission to make her a fried chicken dinner.

"Steven."

" _Yeah?"_ _he replied from the kitchen._

"Look."

A second later, Hyde turned the corner and stopped, offering a nod. "I like it."

"Me, too," she said, staring proudly at her creation. Standing up, made a beeline for his lips and set a kiss on them. "I think I'm going to go take a bath now."

"Okay," he responded and watched her go…

* * *

9:21 PM

Letting the steam of her bath envelop her, Jackie ran her fingers down her calves and tucked her body into a ball. Fatigued, she brought her cheek to her knees, closing her eyes just as the bathroom door opened and invited in a breeze.

"Close the door," Jackie's raspy voice let out as she raised her head, unable to see him through the dark purple curtain. "It's so cold." She heard Hyde shut it and frowned, curious if he was still in the room. "Steven?"

" _Yeah."_

"Oh." She put her head back down.

" _What are you doing?"_

"Getting myself ready for the wedding," she responded and dragged her hands over the smooth skin of her legs. "I won't be long. I just need to exfoliate." Hearing a sound, she sat up. "You can't come in here."

" _I wasn't going to."_

"Why are you in here then?"

" _Dinner's ready,"_ he announced flatly _. "But take your time. I'm making you something extra anyway."_

"You're making me something extra?" Jackie frowned in her curiosity. "What?"

" _It's a surprise."_

Smiling, Jackie shrugged her shoulders. "I love surprises."

" _Yeah, I know."_

"Steven?"

" _Yeah?"_

"Did you sleep with her?" Jackie asked, knowing the answer as she dipped her finger into her bath water, hoping she was wrong. "Jessica. After the rehearsal."

" _Yeah,"_ he admitted quietly _. "Once."_

Jackie closed her eyes and forced away the masochistic images that wanted to enter her mind. They were pointless. Outside of the tub, she heard him breathing.

 _"Shit,"_ she heard him whisper to himself.

"No. It's okay, Steven. I slept with him, too. A couple of times."

She heard him blow out an angry huff. _"I'll be in the kitchen."_

"Steven."

" _What?"_

"Did you feel anything?"

" _What?"_

"Well, when men sleep with women, they don't have to care about her. I was just curious if you felt anything with Jessica that last time."

" _I felt drunk, Jackie. And guilty. I felt like crap if you really want to know."_

"Oh. I ask because... I mean, what do you feel when you're with me?" she asked gingerly, disregarding the resentment in his voice.

" _My chicken's going to burn."_

Jackie flinched as the door shut, a little harder than usual, and closed her eyes. He was impossible sometimes, and she didn't know if they were going to make it through all of this.

The bathroom door opened again, and she felt the breeze before she heard his voice.

" _My stomach, it feels like someone's twisting it into a knot and my chest feels like there's a hundred-pound cement freakin' block sitting on it."_ She heard him suck in a deep breath. _"That's how it feels… with you."_ Then he left again, shutting the door behind him.

Straightening her legs out in front of herself, Jackie smiled. She hadn't meant it that literally, but the description would definitely, definitely do…

* * *

 _September 3, 1984_

 _After quickly checking the crowd for Jessica and Colin, Hyde stepped up and came to a stop next to his ex-girlfriend. "Jackie," he greeted her flatly._

 _Sifting through records, Jackie didn't bother to look up. "Hyde."_

" _So, uh, what's up with your hair?" he pointed._

 _Jackie turned her head at him. "Excuse me?"_

" _You look like that troll." The whites of his eyes were now stringed a beet-red and half shut from his circle exploits. "Remember?" Nudging her arm with his elbow, he gave her a flirtatious smirk. "The one you gave me in my lunch."_

" _No." Her face remained still as she turned her body toward his and folded her arms. "I don't remember, but thank you for that, Hyde. You always know exactly what bonehead remark to make to remind me how glad I am that I'm no longer your girlfriend."_

 _Hyde raised his eyebrows lackadaisically. "I'm just saying, 'cause it's sticking up in the front, you know, like the troll's. It's not green, but…" He grinned, amused at a memory floating around in his head. "Hey, remember that time Fez put green hair dye in your shampoo." Chuckling, Hyde watched Jackie narrow her eyes at him. "What? It was funny," he added, surprised when she raised her hand and dipped it in into the front pocket of his sweatshirt, pulling out his last joint before she gave him a bright smile._

 _"Hey! You remember that one time I stole one of your joints and kicked you in your scrawny shin?"_

 _"No."_

 _The next thing he knew, a lightning rod of pain blazed through his shin, doubling him over. His grimace turned into a smile, though, as he looked up, catching the sight of a tall pair of leather boots walking away. Damn, she was hot…_

* * *

Jackie's Bedroom

9:55 PM

Her second favorite show, Falcon Crest, running in the background, Jackie grabbed Hyde's knight and stuck out her tongue. "Ha! I got your knight!" she cried out and laughed gloatingly, letting her half-chewed chicken show as she pointed. "You're going to lose!"

"That's attractive."

She stuck out her tongue again. From her spot on the floor, he looked like a child, sitting with his legs spread and straddling a chess board. He was so serious during his turns, and she couldn't help but find him adorable. She got caught staring, though, and Hyde looked up and opened his mouth in retaliation.

"Ew," she giggled. "What is that? Potato?"

"Yep."

"Steven," she called as her laughter died down. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"When we broke up, we had a game going. Do you remember?" As if the question were one of mere casual talk, Hyde simply nodded and bit a chunk off his dinner roll while studying the chessboard. "What did you do with it? Did you finish the game with Sam?"

Hyde started to laugh and looked up. "Are you serious? That chick could barely tie her own shoes." He looked back down, chuckling still as he moved his piece. "I put it all back in the box. It's in a closet somewhere."

Jackie smiled to herself as a warm tingle coated her heart. It was one less thing to feel sad about. "Oh," she replied with what sounded like indifference. "Cool. I was just wondering." She peeked at him, though. "Steven?"

"Yeah?" Hyde placed his focus back on her.

"Do you remember that time I came over and got my uniform back. You said that you threw everything of mine away, but you kept the uniform."

"Yeah..." Appearing a little uncomfortable now, Hyde pinched his lips together and lowered his eyes to her fidgeting fingers. "I lied. I didn't throw anything away."

Jackie tilted her head in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," he admitted plainly and drew in a breath. "I still have that, um," She wasn't sure if it was purposeful or just another Zen strategy, but Hyde kept his eyes on the board and made phantom moves as he spoke. "...that necklace with the brown butterfly. Jessica found it once. I said it was Mrs. Forman's."

Jackie curled her bottom lip inside her mouth. Her gaze swimming through the thick silence to reach him, she retrieved for herself the last of a few misplaced memories. Sweaters and pictures and, yeah, a little brown butterfly necklace, long ago left behind.

He had kept them.

After worrying her bottom lip, Jackie crawled behind him and reached into her closet, grabbing hold of the box at the inside corner. She pulled it toward herself and gave Hyde a shy smile. "I kept some things, too..."

* * *

Thirty Minutes Later

Setting a stack of pictures down, Hyde smiled gratifyingly; beyond pleased when Jackie winked, giggled, and raised a very thin, faded black t-shirt. "Look familiar?"

"Oh, man!" He took it into his hands. "I figured you'd burned this or performed some kind of ex-girlfriend voodoo on it."

"Oh, I did," Jackie said. "The curse just didn't take like I'd hoped. You still have all your man parts."

Hyde shook his head, still amazed as he peeled his sweatshirt off and pulled what had once been his favorite shirt over his head and down his chest. "Still fits," he announced with a smile.

Jackie smiled back wearily. "You can have it back if you want."

"Yeah?" Hyde admired it.

Jackie nodded. "Mm-hm. It looks nice on you."

"Or _you_ could keep it," he suggested and gave her a look that told her she should.

"Are you sure?"

"It's yours." Hyde pulled it off again and handed it back to her. "Got it outside a Zeppelin concert," he explained without provocation as she folded his shirt back up and set it in her lap. "We couldn't get in. Our tickets were phony. I'm sure Kelso told you."

Jackie shook her head. "No."

"Yeah…" It was a strange moment. A commercial took longer than usual to begin and the room found a slight pocket of silence. Just enough time to stare at each other.

When the show resumed, and the room was filled with sound once again, Jackie reached into the box. "Do you remember this?" Slightly embarrassed but completely confident that the answer was in her favor, she pulled out and presented her cheerleading top. Her heart plummeted into her belly as his face similarly fell. "Oh…"

A little embarrassed suddenly, Jackie scattered to put it back.

Hyde frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Putting it away."

"Why?" Leaning forward, Hyde found the top and the skirt beneath it and took them out of the box with a wicked grin. "Man, if this outfit had eyes…" he nodded, looking it over. "I'm pretty sure it would be happy to see me." His eyebrows shot up excitedly. "Put it on."

Jackie laughed. "No way, you pig. I know what you're thinking."

"Come on," he pressed. "I put on the t-shirt."

"We didn't use to have sex when you put on that t-shirt."

"Untrue." The look in his eyes told Jackie to think back. Crinkling her forehead, she picked out a single memory. His room. The shirt. Her red panties with the sparkly heart. "Oh, yeah." She snatched the outfit from his hands. "Look away."

His triumphant expression holding, Hyde sat and watched anyway. "Okay." He moved not a muscle, optical included, as she pulled off her sweater, revealing a black, silk camisole, and wiggled into her cheerleading top. She blushed at the sight of his eyes falling toward her breasts and rising again.

"It's a little tight, but it fits," she announced, getting to her feet. She hadn't tried it on in years but as she peeled her jeans off and slipped on the skirt, she realized that not much had changed, at least physically.

"Really tight." With a mesmerized gaze, Hyde watched her prance around and turn, showing him his favorite part the uniform: the back. "Nice," he said as she sat on her knees in front of him. It only took a moment for the two of them to realize that he was wearing his old clothes and she was wearing the outfit that typically called for a seventy-five percent chance of sex.

"Well, this is different."

Jackie gulped. "I'll change."

"No." Hyde shook his head. "Don't."

Shooting him a flirtatious glance, Jackie smiled and cocked her head to the side. "Okay, then." As she looked at him, though, the bruised skin around his eyes turning a strange shade of blue, something occurred to her. "Maybe we should buy some make-up to cover those bruises on your face. Just for the wedding pictures."

"Uh, no. I'm not wearing make-up."

"Crap." Jackie huffed. "I look just as bad," she pointed to her bloodshot, puffy eye. "I can't be in her wedding photos. I looked stoned."

"You _are_ stoned, Jackie."

"Whatever, Steven," Jackie sang and stood up, grabbing his hand. "Get up. We have to fix this. _We_ are the Best Man and Maid of Honor; _WE_ are the Godparents! We cannot show up to this wedding looking like your family." Jackie gasped as Hyde stood. "Or worse. We _cannot_ show up looking shoddier than _Eric_ and _Donna_ …"

* * *

 _September 3, 1984_

 _It wasn't until midnight, as Eric's Birthday/Labor Day party neared its climax, that Hyde found Jackie alone again and sat down a few feet from her. "Why'd you kick me?"_

" _Because you deserved it."_

 _Hyde turned his head forward and nodded as they both sat. "You're not going to give me my joint back, are you?"_

" _Nope." Jackie stood up and gave him a gentler look than she had allowed him in what felt like decades. "I have a feeling you've had enough tonight anyway, Steven."_

 _Stunned by the sound of his own name, Hyde simply watched her walk away and, for the first time, in a long time, felt a familiar, but long forgotten, pang. He didn't want her to leave. The THC in his system, the drug that typically suspended his body with euphoria and a warm, fuzzy feeling that wanted to spread, made her intriguing, beautiful. "Jackie."_

 _Jackie turned around. "What?"_

" _Nothing…"_

* * *

10:40 PM

Trapped like a fool behind the once-chilled veil of two cucumber slices, Hyde heard a giggle and smiled as a joint was slipped between his lips. He could smell the aroma of her hair and feel the brief, soft teases of her skin and hair on his chest and arms. She must have—simply by the fact that he was here, shirtless and in her bed—felt something for him, but it was making him crazy wondering exactly what. He'd been patient, listened to her go on and on about Colin, bent to her every spoiled wish, and held his tongue, and still, he was no better off than when he had been physically rejected by her the night before. She was going to burn him, and, filled with kindling for her, he was going to go up in flames; he just fucking knew it.

Above him, Jackie laughed and tapped his nose. "I should get my camera."

"You do, and I'll tell everyone you like _doggy-style_ _best_."

Jackie gasped. "That's private."

"So is this."

"Fine," she grumbled and lit his joint, trying to see through the cold compress mask that was currently strapped to her head.

Hyde took his hit and held the joint out for her to take. "When are you going to take this crap off," he asked, referring to the blue, homemade "vitamin mud mask" that coated his face.

"You're supposed to wear it for thirty minutes and..." Jackie took the joint and looked at the clock, "Oh! Time's up."

Unable to see, Hyde could only feel her body move above his, reaching for something it felt like, and so, with a slight grin, he slipped his hands up her cheerleading skirt and squeezed the thickest parts of her thighs and hips.

"Steven."

"Yeah?" he answered, waiting to be scolded, and heard a subtle moan in her breath as he squeezed again and rocked her over his groin. Shit, she liked it.

"Sit up," he heard as the cucumber slices were lifted from his eyes.

Hyde blinked a few times, letting her image come into focus. "You look like Zorro," he smirked. "It's kind of hot."

Jackie laughed. "Release my ass and sit up please." He did, as she stayed saddled to his lap, a steaming, wet cloth in her hand. "Close your eyes."

Eyes shut, Hyde felt a hot rush of pleasure surge through his veins as the cloth contacted his skin. At the age of, say, sixteen, he would have never guessed that a clothed girl placing a warm compress on his face could feel so orgasmic. But being cared for, being warm in a clean, sweet-smelling place, with her weight on his lap, her hair touching his shoulder, was heaven. He wanted more, wanted this, for as long as he could have it. He wasn't going to complain _anymore._

When his face felt clean, the washcloth moved down his neck and across his collarbone, making Hyde groan. "Oh, man."

"Feel good?" Her voice sounded gravelly, sexy.

"Yeah." Hyde finally opened his eyes and saw hers, red again and coated in tears. He froze. "What's wrong?"

Throwing down the cloth, Jackie whipped off her mask and wiped her eyes. "God, my eyes are going to be puffy forever if I don't stop crying like a giant baby." She continued to wipe her face. "I shouldn't be crying. This is _my_ fault." Looking at Hyde, Jackie could see that he was flabbergasted and had no idea how to respond to her, afraid as usual to say the wrong thing, but his face... he looked near-new. "It worked," she smiled sadly and sniffled, touching her finger to his cheek. "Mostly. I mean, it's not swollen anymore, and the bruises look a lot better."

Hyde's expression didn't change. He still looked concerned.

Jackie watched him swallow and close his mouth, but his lips parted again to let a breath through, and the corner of one side twitched, drawing her attention to a dimple that formed the moment he fidgeted. A couple inches below, his smooth neck streamed down to his shoulder, muscular and a little wet still from her cloth. Following her downward path, Jackie lowered her eyes to his chest and touched her palms to the skin at the apex of his rib cage and let them slide to his navel. "This is wrong, isn't it?"

Hyde exhaled slowly, his eyes, too, on her hands. "What do you mean?"

"I'm heartbroken, Steven. I'm in so much pain, and I want you to make me feel better." She traced her fingers down to his belt buckle. "I want to feel your mouth on me."

Hyde frowned, still watching. "It's not wrong."

"It is," she assured him, two alligator teardrops falling from her eyes and landing on her wrists. "But I don't care. I had plans, Steven, and now I feel alone. So just make me feel better, okay? Make me stop crying." Her stifled crying grew worse. "Make me forget." Jackie looked up, her gaze sweltering but pleading. "Take me, Steven. Take whatever you want."

Hyde skimmed to the bottom seam of her top. He pushed it up as she reached for the ceiling and pulled it over her head, doing the same with her camisole until she was bare from the waist up. In the middle of her bedroom, and with permission to have any piece of her he wanted, Hyde leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her torso, closing her in his arms tight. Bringing his mouth to her throat, a deep inhale marked the moment she felt his tongue, so hot and soft, make contact.

Wrapped inside his arms, Jackie laid her cheek on his head, feeling better already. He was holding her so close to him, blanketing her with warmth and massaging her flesh with his hands. She wasn't alone. Sad, maybe, depressed, angry at herself, yes, but not alone, because she could feel the love in his embrace. She had spent years begging and wishing for it and it took all this to finally get it, every last morsel of her energy and the fall of her only remaining dream. She was to be married to a man who wanted to create for her that dream, who thought she was worthy of the effort, and now that was over. Now, tears reminded her that she had no idea if she would live her entire life regretting a single month, the brief window, in which she had given everything away. For this feeling. Only time would tell. For now, she closed her eyes and cried, holding tight to Hyde.

The moment she started crying in earnest, though, Hyde took her mouth, parting her lips wide, his kiss demanding and sure.

He wanted her to let go, submit. And she had to or she would crumble and die. She had to let him try with his kisses and his roaming, kneading hands.

Inhaling deeply as the sensations changed, as his mouth moved to her neck, hot, wet kisses falling so softly, Jackie hugged his head and let hers fall back in rapture. His arms pulled her in, grinding her into his lap. "Oh, _yes_." Every one of his kisses sent a rush of adrenaline through her heart, endorphins followed into her brain and soon, only Hyde occupied her mind. His arms and lips and hands. They were everything as he lowered her to back to the carpet and dragged the cheer skirt down her hips.

Jackie giggled as his breath tickled her side and looked down as he looked up. With an amorous smile, she slipped her fingers into his hair. "Did you miss me?"

"Did _you_ miss _me_?"

"Mm," she nodded quickly. "Every day."

Hyde smiled and rose to meet her lips.

Satisfied that his kiss, the heat behind his eyes, answered her question, that he had missed her, too, Jackie spread her legs and let his weight settle over, pinning her hips to the floor. Gently, she touched her palms to his cheeks, happy as his tongue glided like silk over hers. This was near heaven, and in this moment, it was all she needed.

"Make love to me, Steven," she whispered as their lips met again and their bodies, now both fully nude, became one.

Complying, Hyde slid a hand down her body and stroked the needy flesh between her legs, making teasing little circles, groaning into her mouth when he slipped his fingers inside. She was ready, and so was he. Wrapping her hand around his shaft, she placed it against her. "Now, Steven."

In a frenzy he couldn't contain, Hyde sealed his mouth overs hers, then groaned as he pushed inside of her. The look on her face was one of pure ecstasy, mouth open in a silent gasp, cheeks pink with desire, but when he made his first full thrust inside of her, her eyes snapped open and she bucked against him with everything she had. Low moans turned into cries as they rocked into each other; sweat beaded, slicking their skin as they made love on her bedroom floor.

Make her feel better. Make her forget. From the first moment he had noticed her, like _really_ noticed her, sitting on the hood of her Daddy's Lincoln, she did it to him. And nothing, not in two years, nor five, nor ten, could fucking beat her. With that thought, Hyde did as she asked. For as long he could manage, she would feel no more pain; she would experience no more fear or loneliness. Never again.

* * *

 _September 3, 1984_

 _Labor Day_

 _Forman House_

" _Hey, can I borrow a lighter?"_

 _Recognizing the accent, Hyde turned. "Yeah." He reached into his pocket and pulled one out._

 _At the same time, Colin pulled a joint from his pocket and smiled drunkenly. "Smoke?"_

" _Uh…" Hyde nodded at the sight of it. "Sure. Where'd you get it?"_

 _Colin shrugged. "I don't know. Jackie gave it to me. Kelso probably gave it to her."_

 _Hyde grinned. "Well, then. Spark it up…"_

 _Some time later, Colin, half-lidded and mellow, nudged Hyde. "Did Jackie tell you? I got a ton of tickets to some Haunted Cruise in Chicago on Halloween. You're all welcome to come along."_

" _Cool, man. Thanks." Flying high, Hyde grimaced. "Wait, we don't have to dress up, do we? I don't do costumes."_

" _It's required to get in," Colin, drunk and high, too, informed him miserably. "She's making me go as Prince Charming."_

 _Hyde laughed. "Nice. That means you'll have to wear tights," he smirked, taking pleasure in the Irishman's gloom. And at the sour contortion of Colin's face, Hyde shrugged. "Hey, she's your girlfriend, man."_

 _The foreigner nodded. "Yeah." He sighed heavily. "Fiancé soon, I hope," he added, this fatal mistake made so casually and without thought or intent. "…and then I'm really screwed." Colin laughed and shook his head. "She'll be trying to dress me in tights for a damn eternity."_

 _Hyde's smile, though, disappeared. "What?"_

" _In tights… I mean, not really. I'm not actually going to do it." Laughing, Colin took a swig of his beer, never catching the moment for what it was: his end. "Unless she pouts. I can't help giving her what she wants when she pouts. She's so damn cute."_

" _No," Hyde corrected him and sat forward in his seat. "What'd you say before that?"_

" _Oh. Yeah, don't say anything, but I have to go to New York next month, and I'm going to buy a ring while I'm there." Colin smiled proudly. "Surprise her. The ring she wants is in this store on Fifth Avenue."_

 _Hyde blinked. Hate… No. No. No. Beyond that. That feeling, that sizzling, fiery one that wanted to spread across a scorched earth, far and wide. He felt its fire ignite inside his chest and swell around to his back. Hate only fueled it. IT, this new feeling, it did not have a name. It had an urgency, though, and power, and now a reason to rise. "So, you're going to propose to Jackie then?"_

 _Taking another swallow off his bottle, Colin nodded, his smile genuine. "Yeah, I think I am."_

" _Oh." It came out of the cool, October air, and why on that night, there was no explanation, but it hit with lightning haste, and a strength he'd never felt before, bringing with it the weight and force of ten indolent and wasted years. "Yeah, man…" Feigning a smile, Hyde nodded. His eyes, if the foreigner had been paying attention, were ablaze and beginning to stir with intent. "Congratulations."_

" _Thanks."_

 _Maybe it was a warning before the storm, a low rumbling in the sky, or maybe it was just one last attempt by a wiser universe to rouse his slumbering heart. It was, though, the moment of his awakening…_

* * *

 _Three Months Later_

 _Thanksgiving Night_

 _Standing in a far corner, letting go of a single quarter, a blonde's face shined beneath a flicker of red light, and then white, and then Bowie turned to Sledge inside the overcrowded bar, slowing the tempo and turning the mood; and that was how abruptly the world could change: in the blink of an eye. One minute you were listening to Bowie and the next, you were in the ballroom of a ship, stealing another man's chick._

 _When a man loves a woman  
Can't keep his mind on nothing else  
He'll trade the world  
For the good thing he's found…_

 _His swollen, bruising gaze set shamefully on the bar, Hyde sat down. "Can I get a beer?" he asked the man behind the counter._

 _Frowning at the sound of his adversary's voice, Colin turned his head and blew out an indignant breath. "Did you come back for another beating? The first one wasn't good enough for you?"_

" _We should talk." Hyde pinched the flesh between his eyes at his own words. Stupid Formans and their pushy morals._

 _Colin brought his beer to his mouth._ " _I've said all I have to say."_

 _Just then, a beer was set down in front of Hyde by the rather intrigued bartender. "Wait. This is the guy?" the bartender asked Colin, pointing at Hyde. "The one who nailed your fiancé?"_

 _"Hey, she wasn't his fiancé yet," Hyde cut in._

 _"Shut up._ _Yeah," Colin nodded to Jerry, the bartender, who moved to take the beer back from Hyde. But Colin waved the action off. "No. It's alright."_

" _Thanks." Hyde snatched his beer and knocked it back as Jerry eyed him and walked away. From where Hyde sat, his part of the conversation was foregone. There were no alternatives. The decisions had all been made. And now, whether Colin listened or not, Hyde was going to try, for once, to do things right, the way the Formans would do them, honorably and all that crap._

 _Seated two stools away, and taking a swill off his Guinness, Colin shook his head. "You knew, you fuck. You knew I was going to propose to her."_

 _Hyde drew in a deep breath. "Look, man, I'm sorry, alright. But it's not like I made her do anything. She's a grown woman. What we did was wrong, and I'm really sorry about that. I am. But…" Hyde stood up from his seat and shook his head at the sum of it all. The fucking simplicity. "I love her," he shrugged without apology, "and if there's a chance she'll take me back, I'm going for it. I just thought you should know that."_

 _Colin's jaw clenched, his eyes still set on his beer. "She won't," he uttered. "You're not good enough for her, and you know it. She knows it."_

" _Yeah." Hyde threw a wad of cash on the bar, enough for his beer and for Colin's, saying his final words on the matter. "I know. But I'm not losing her again. I'm just not."_

 _If she is playing him for a fool  
He's the last one to know  
Lovin' eyes can never see…_

* * *

"Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you still awake?"

"Yeah."

"Me, too."

"Yeah, I kind of figured."

Jackie sighed and angled her head to rest it on his shoulder. "Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not going to hurt me again, right?"

"No," Hyde shook his head. "I'm not."

"Okay… Hey, Steven?"

"Huh?"

"How long are you planning to stay?"

"As long as you'll let me."

"Okay," Jackie accepted with a smile. "Oh, Steven?"

"Yeah."

"I don't think you're a dream crusher anymore."

Hyde spread his lips into a grin. "Thank you, doll." In a quest for her mouth, he leaned into the darkness. His attempt at a kiss was quickly interrupted, though, as the phone rang, and then rang again.

"It's almost midnight," she said, sitting up. "Who would be calling this late?"

" _Hi. This is Jackie. Leave a message after the beep and if you're lucky, or filthy rich, I'll call you back."_

" _Jackie."_

The brunette being called upon froze at attention, her mouth curling downward from the sudden reminder. Beside her, Hyde's heart sunk deep into the middle of his back, suddenly worried as he watched her eyes turn away from him and settle in the direction of the kitchen, where her answering machine sat, where Colin exhaled abrupt, uneven breaths.

 _"I have no idea what to say to you right now."_

Hyde watched Jackie carefully. Not a blink. Not that he could see. Not even as she looked down at him with beleaguered eyes that held concern for the heartbroken voice invading their night.

" _I just… I want you to know that I still love you… I still want to marry you…"_

A deep inhale, echoed by the complicated wires of a machine, filled the small apartment just before a sharp click made Jackie gasp and disengage from Hyde, sending her eyes back toward the bedroom door and into the vast, unknown that reached far beyond its threshold. All the while, Hyde's gaze remained on her...

11:59:57…

11:59:58…

11:59:59…

 **Saturday**

 **December 1, 1984**


	32. Chapter 32

**NOVEMBER RAIN: FINALE**

 **Chapter 32: Lights Will Guide You Home**

 **Music:**

 _Coming Around Again_ – Carly Simon

 _I Love You_ – Climax Blues Band

 _Sara_ – Jefferson Starship

 _Cool Night_ – Paul Davis

 _Purple Rain_ – Prince

 _The Hollies_ – The Air That I Breath

* * *

So never mind the darkness  
We still can find a way  
'Cause nothing lasts forever  
Even cold November rain _  
_

* * *

 _October 31, 1984_

 _At some point during their journey, she had opened her eyes, all five of her senses guarded as she took slow, tentative steps. It was pitch black, terrifying, but then his hand reached out and found hers again. It guided her and burned exceedingly hot against her skin, leaving flighty little tingles that made her smile almost deliriously. He was being so wonderful tonight, so attentive. He was calling back the past in low whispers, and it felt—he felt—like a once-distant dream rushing upon her. She was young again, beautiful, and vying for the affections of this boy who had lit a spark in her heart for as long as she could remember. She was blind in this maze, lost and, yet, somehow, found again._

 _Until she accidentally let go._

" _Hyde?" Jackie called out. It was quiet suddenly, and she was scared. She stopped moving forward, stalled at the unknown. "Steven? Are you still there?" When she felt his warm chest against her back, she closed her eyes again and smiled, hugging his strong hands to her chest._

 _"My Tangerine, sweetheart, you can't let every little thing scare you," he whispered in her ear. "We're only lost."_

 _Opening her eyes, Jackie looked down the dark passageway. "I see that."_

 _They were silent a moment, alone for the time being, disoriented, but she felt safe in his arms, in this place and time, holding onto him in the dark._

" _It's not so bad, is it?" he asked, sweeping aside her hair with his chin to place his lips on the nape of her neck. "Being lost?"_

 _She could feel him smile and breathe softly against her skin. It made her smile, and she shook her head. "No, Puddin', it's not so bad."_

" _We could stay here."_

" _Yeah," she supposed. "We could."_

" _Or we could try and find our way out."_

 _Jackie sighed. Time could stand still; couldn't it? If they really wanted it to? They could stay here together, forever, or they could try to make it out and risk losing each other in the confusion and darkness. It seemed too risky. However, a sparrow-sized point of light, with all its warmth and promise, shined up ahead, moving the rest of the world forward, calling to them._

 _It was time._

" _Let's find our way out," Jackie whispered to him the moment several star-bursts of light sparkled up ahead. It made her clutch his thick fingers tighter to her chest. "We should at least try…"_

 **Saturday**

 **December 1, 1984**

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **3:43 AM**

Her body disoriented and aching for sleep, Jackie sat up and forced her eyelids open. It was still the middle of the night. Cold, she reached for her missing blanket, and it occurred to her that she had not gone to bed alone. She had gone with Hyde. They had been here together since making love, with the exception of a brief trip to the shower and his journey to the kitchen for some water.

Jackie yanked the blankets over herself. "Steven," she whispered, reaching out. Her hand landed on his warm back, her fingertips crawling over to touch his spine to nudge him. "Hey, Steven… Steven… Steven…"

"Whaaaat," Hyde grumbled and turned his head.

"Are you awake?"

"No," he growled. As his hand landed on her side, though, he sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I keep having bad dreams."

"Oh." Rubbing his face and eyes, Hyde sat up on his elbows. "Uh…everything's fine, Jackie. Just go back to sleep." He turned all the way toward her and lay back down, pulling her body toward his. "You're fine."

"I know, but it was terrible," Jackie explained glumly, feeling his lips—hot from sleep—kiss her forehead. "I was at this awful rodeo with all these other girls, and we were in this beauty contest, and they kept making us do these stupid tasks in order to win, and, in the end, _Donna_ won because she lassoed her dead cat—you know, the one Eric ran over—which is ridiculous because she is _not_ prettier than me, Steven."

"Mm-hm," Hyde murmured, his eyes shut.

"And then I was in this dark, dirty warehouse and I was scared and I couldn't find you, and then _Donna_ showed up with her stupid beauty contest trophy, and I wanted to smack her in the face with it."

Hyde yawned. "Did you?"

"No," Jackie grumbled regretfully. "But I wanted to really bad. She wouldn't shut up about winning. Oh, but _then…_ she just disappears, and the warehouse turned into that ship, remember, from Halloween? What was the name?"

Hyde rubbed at his eyes. "Uh… I don't remember, babe. Go back to sleep."

"Just listen to me," Jackie begged, growing frustrated with him. "Are you listening? Steven?"

"I'm listening."

Jackie exhaled, relieved when she saw him wearily open his eyes. "You were there with me, in one of the mazes," she continued, "in the dark. Do you remember when we got lost and we kept flirting…"—Jackie smiled at the memory—"and touching each other, and you kept pulling me inside those dark little corners to sneak kisses." She tucked her bottom lip in with an ever-brightening smile and touched the tip of her nose to his. "Do you remember?"

Hyde smiled back sleepily. "Yeah." Impelled by her intimacy, and the gentle hum of her pillow voice, he left a kiss on her lips and trailed more down her jaw until he reached her neck. "I remember beautiful you looked." That said, he devoured her flesh with more kisses. "And you smelled amazing. I remember _that_."

Dreamily, Jackie closed her eyes, lost in his affection as she hugged his head. "Mm… Well, I don't remember what happened in my dream; I don't even remember what you said, but we were happy, Steven. I remember that. But then I just woke up."

"Bummer," Hyde said, settling into a comfortable sleeping position with her. "Now you can go _back_ to sleep."

" _Steven."_

"Come on, Jackie. I'm tired."

"Fine," Jackie conceded with a huff. There was more she wanted to tell him, much more she had left to say, but it would have to wait. She hadn't remembered the exact language of her dream—it might as well have been in Chinese—but the feelings it had given her lingered, prodding her to move. And where she had to go, unfortunately, was clear as a blue spring sky.

* * *

Five Hours Later

8:46 AM

"Steven!" Jackie screeched crossly. "That isn't funny anymore!"

Hyde continued to grin, chuckling beneath his breath. "It's funny if _someone's_ laughing, Jackie," he reasoned.

At that, Jackie growled and pivoted around to face her bathroom mirror. A harsh point of her finger at his reflection did little to stop his jollity, though. "Do it again and die a violent, _vicious_ death, Steven Hyde!"

It was as if she knew the exact call to sic, though, the command to send his hand flying in to goose and scare her again.

Hyde's tongue pushed past his lips, like a devious child up to no good, and Jackie's eyes widened.

"Ahh!" she jumped at the light assault and, against her better judgment, began to laugh, which she knew would only encourage him more. Jackie scowled angrily, growling, "I hate you!"

But Hyde only grinned in celebration over another victory, happy as she smacked him and kicked with her bare feet.

"God! You're such an idiot sometimes."

Amused greatly, Hyde claimed her waist and gave her a smile. "Let's go back to bed. You get aggressive when you're pissed, and I like it."

Against him, Jackie shook her head, but still let him kiss her. It was hard to deny him when he was in such a good mood.

"We're going to be late," she reminded him, smiling. "It's already…" She grabbed his wrist to get a look at his watch. "Oh, my God, it's almost nine!" In a flash, Jackie spun around and began to move furiously. "Brooke's going to kill us!"

"She's not going to kill me. I'm ready." Clean, dressed and shaved, Hyde pointed at the hot curlers coloring Jackie's brunette head a light shade of violet. "You're the one that took two hours sticking those purple tubes all over your head."

"It would have taken less if you had left me alone."

"Well, I couldn't do that."

Jackie's body sunk in agony, her face wearing a desperate plea as her bottom lip protruded. "Can you put my dress and my shoes, and all the stuff on the bed, in my car," she begged, scattered as she transferred the day's essentials into a large case on top of the bathroom counter. "Pleeeeease. Come on, Steven."

Hyde rolled his eyes and wheeled around. As asked, he grabbed her things from her bed and took them down to her car, leaving only her to manage.

"Jackie!" Twenty minutes later, donned in his sunglasses, Hyde stood waiting at her front door. "Come on. We've gotta hit the road."

A moment later, Jackie came cruising out of her bedroom, dressed in leggings, boots and a button-down flannel pajama shirt, carrying a purse the size of her mattress. Rows of curlers continued to make her head look like a giant, purple football helmet.

"What am I forgetting to do?" Jackie asked him.

Hyde grimaced at her head. "Coin-toss?"

"Huh?"

Hyde laughed. "Nothing. Come here." He pulled her close to him. "I know you said you don't want to talk about it, but…"

"That's right, Steven. I don't. We've got so much to do. Can we just let it go for today? We're fine." At his frown, Jackie sighed and put her hands on his sides. "Steven," she said more deliberately, her eyes sincere and soft. "We're _fine_ ," she repeated. "I promise. Look. I know I've had a rough couple of days, but I'm okay now. _We're_ okay," she smiled. "I'm never going to choose anyone but you, ever again. I promise."

Hyde blinked, his face unchanging, and accepted her kiss with closed, uneasy eyes…

* * *

 **First Presbyterian Church**

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

Christie, a woman who, by all rhyme and reason, should not be by her side today, stuck by Brooke like a Golden Retriever. Her arms, after much insistence, were loaded with bridal paraphernalia, both guilt and gratuity giving her the strength to keep her frail legs moving.

Brooke groaned, her arms hauling twice as much. "Please, God, don't let me drop any of this…"

Christie exhaled painfully. "Where's the entrance?"

"Around the other side," Brooke answered, out of breath, too, as she peeked over the pile she carried. "It's a big door with stained glass."

Then, as if the hands of her God had answered her plea, the weight in Brooke's grip was cut in half.

"I got it," a light Irish accent murmured, and Brooke could see again, the largest of her cases gone.

"Colin!" Her shout was ecstatic. She'd always liked him, much better than Hyde.

Colin stepped over and grabbed everything from Christie's arms as she adjusted it to pile evenly in his, having no clue who this good-looking man was.

"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked him.

Colin appeared wary suddenly, frowning. "Oh." He glanced at Christie and returned to Brooke, wondering if he had overestimated his welcome. "Kelso said you would be here."

"Well, come on," Brooke urged him toward the building. "Are you alright?" she eventually asked, her assuming question laced with empathy as they entered the church's side building. "I'm really sorry, Colin. I knew about them, I just…she's my friend."

"I know. Look," He followed her down a long, white hallway. "I know I agreed to be an usher, but…"

"Oh, thank God," Brooke sighed in relief. "My Uncle Roy's plane was canceled," she explained as they entered a small, very plain, bridal suite. "That blizzard coming down from Canada. There are no flights going out. You're all I have."

Colin looked at Christie—the only face that seemed to realize that this was not good news for him—and frowned back at Brooke in despair. "There's _no_ _one_ else that could do it?"

Brooke set her things down carefully and hung up her dress, groaning as comprehension struck her. "Oh, my God. I'm so sorry, Colin." She turned around, finally seeing what Christie had seen. His face rested in near horror. "You don't have to do it. I might be able to figure something else out. I just... I have so many other things on my mind right now… Honestly, I'm surprised you even came."

"Well, I told you I would, so…" he trailed off, assuming she knew the rest.

"I know." Brooke's soft eyes reached his, her mind featuring pitying thoughts of the prize her best friend had simply tossed away like trash. It made her feel guilty, simply by association, and she shook her head as she began to search the pile she had just set down. "Christie, did you see a bright yellow address book about this big?"

The girl shook her head. "No."

Colin sighed, feeling the credence of his obligations. "Damn it. I guess…I could deal with the door and then go before…" He paused, the coming words impossible to get out.

"Colin, no. I'm not going to make you watch them together."

Colin's entire body tensed. "They're together? Like…?" More words that wouldn't budge.

Brooke was hesitant to answer.

"Brooke," Colin demanded. "Answer me. Please."

"I think so. I mean…"

Christie frowned. "Who are we talking about?"

"I'm sorry. Christie, this is Colin, Jackie's boyfriend…uh, fiancé" she cringed, cautiously watching Colin ponder the cold, stale air in front of him, his face turned down in angry grief.

"Ex-fiancé," he corrected.

Christie frowned, confused.

"Colin," Brooke continued, "this is Christie…um…"

"The cancerous burden," Christie smiled sourly and reached out. "Hi."

Colin shook her hand, a curious scowl on his face. "Hi."

Brooke let out a dark laugh. "Great! Now all we need is for my absent, alcoholic father to stumble in, and it's a party!"

Both Colin and Christie grimaced.

"Sorry…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

The Church

Arriving late, Jackie stepped out of the passenger side of her car and grabbed her dress and shoes from the back seat as Hyde grabbed what remained. She raised her head to scrutinize the large slate-stoned church as they walked toward it together.

It was truly beautiful, and it could not have been any closer to the church of her dreams. Inside, the perfect white gown would flow around her, little girls with baskets of loose petals would giggle and throw their arms high into the air, an abundance of witnesses would turn to see _her_ , the blushing bride, the beauty to her black-tuxedoed beast, and at the end of the aisle, a priest and the beast would wait, both smiling and wearing Armani.

Jackie felt Hyde grab her hand and the fantasy dissolved as four of her friends came into view, all standing on the front steps.

Donna stepped forward and smiled. "Wow." Taking hold of Hyde's chin, she turned his head from left to right. "You look much better, Hyde. God, yesterday you looked like Muhammad Ali after a fight."

"But _slightly_ less black," Fez clarified.

Donna frowned and turned to Jackie. "So, what did you do?" she asked her, gesturing toward Hyde's now-minor bruises.

Jackie smiled. " _Well…"_ Nearing her breaking point and ready to burst, Jackie released a loud squeal and began to clap her hands together. "I got him to wear a mud mask," she exclaimed excitedly. "It was a special recipe that my mom discovered while in Fiji a few years ago. _And_ he wore cucumbers… like a girl!"

Hyde's face fell as his friends began to grin at him.

"A mud mask, huh?" Donna said. A teasing smile spread across her face. "Cucumbers?"

"Jackie favorite position is doggie style," Hyde announced and stepped around Donna, heading up the stairs toward the church door.

Just as quickly, the scrutiny shifted to Jackie, whose mouth fell open.

"Oh, yeah!" Kelso beamed. "I remember that!" Instantly, he received a sharp punch to his arm as Hyde passed. "Ah!" he groaned, but laughed regardless.

Jackie frowned. "I do _not_ like it doggie style," she attempted lamely to the four people remaining on the steps, smiling at her. Her face twisted in exaggerated revulsion. "That's just…" She breathed shallow breaths until a high-pitched growl finished her sentence, and then stomped around Donna, past Eric, to follow Hyde inside.

Kelso opened his mouth.

"Shut _up_ , Michael!"

* * *

Hyde had Jackie in his hand as they walked into the bridal suite, and it was then that the morning turned extremely awkward.

Everyone stopped.

Hyde thought he heard a small gasp come from Jackie's throat. He couldn't be sure, though. But there he was, in the flesh, looking at their clasped hands. The day had officially begun. The meter turned and started to click, and Hyde knew his time was now being measured in hours instead of days.

"Colin… What…" Jackie broke away from Hyde's grasp. He played it off, though, like it didn't bother him that the woman he loved was stepping toward her other lover, speaking in her softest tone. "What are you doing here?"

"He's my only usher," Brooke responded before Colin could open his mouth. "I need him."

"Oh."

Maintaining his silence, Colin studied his intended bride with amorous but guarded eyes.

Jackie stared back.

The room was silent.

Behind her, Hyde felt his strength leave him.

It was then that Christie collapsed and hit the floor with a swift series of thuds.

"Oh, my God!"

Everyone crowded around the frail girl, until Kelso lifted her onto a small love seat at the edge of the room. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She tried to sit up, appearing dazed, but lay back down when her dizziness got the best of her.

"You should eat something," Brooke uttered, her face wrought with guilt. "I've had you running around all morning. I'm so sorry."

"No, Brooke. It's okay. It's your big day. Please don't worry about me. Really, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."

Brooke stood up. "Does anybody have something to eat? Juice? Anything?"

No one did.

"Steven, go to McDonald's or something," Jackie pleaded with him, a grimace of distaste on her angel face. "Get her some food before she just _drops_ like that again."

"Oh, would you?" Brooke asked him with hopeful eyes. "Please. You're the only one who's ready."

Hyde glanced between the two women. "Yeah," he sighed. _Crap._

Hyde gathered everyone's order, accepting the Colin's glare as a "none for me, thanks," and left, apprehensive as he parted ways with Jackie.

"Hurry back," she called out quietly in the hallway behind him as he left, and he turned around, retracing his steps to leave her an enduring kiss. Truth be told, he was afraid to leave her alone with him. But what could he do?

"Come with me," Hyde whispered. "It'll only take a few minutes."

"I can't, Steven. I need to help Brooke get ready. I need to get myself ready."

So, Hyde had to dismiss his reluctance and leave her anyway. He exited the building with a sinking feeling in his gut. The morning was too gray. The air was too cold. The time ticked away with too much haste…

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

Her reflection staring back at her, Jackie fluffed her curls. She could feel his eyes on her suddenly. The boys had all left the room nearly twenty minutes before, but there was stress at her back and her muscles tensed.

He was definitely there.

"Can we talk?" Colin asked, now behind her, an audible stagger from sorrow to hope animating his quiet tone. "Please?" The sound was so soft. The reflection of his eyes filled with worry.

Jackie spun around and parted her lips, pausing. He was so beautiful, more handsome than she'd remembered, even though it had only been a couple of days. The answer barely made it past her tongue. "Yes."

Past the judgmental stares of her friends, Colin led her away, around a corner, and down a hall to a large, stained-glass window. The wind outside was restless, but the air around them quiet as they faced each other.

Jackie looked at her bare feet, toes painted a nude pink, against the blue Berber carpet and wondered to herself if this was where he was going crush her or tell her hurtful things. She prepared herself—and her heart—for the blow.

"I love you," Colin whispered instead. At first, Jackie wondered if he had even meant for her to hear. Or had she imagined it?

She looked up, near horrified at the possibility that she had.

Colin appeared to be just as surprised. "I do. Still."

She didn't know what to say. Blinking once—it stung—Jackie thought she took a step closer to him. She couldn't be sure. But that was all she did. Her parted lips couldn't move. A first for such a declaration.

It seemed to strike Colin that she had not said it back, that she had abstained. Jackie knew that her silence spoke volumes, especially from a girl like her—a walking billboard of inner thoughts. But today, she was trying to make her heart invisible. It was her only defense.

He couldn't have known, though.

Colin looked down. It was inside that span of time that Jackie started to let her urge to cry remind her where she was. In a gray-morning lit hallway, watching this wonderful man try to suppress pain. He thought she didn't love him, and his heart was breaking.

"Colin..." Jackie touched his hand.

"What did I do, Jackie?" he cut in, his eyes boring into her. There it was. A small fraction of the anger she deserved, but with so much more torment than she'd imagined.

Jackie shook her head. "Nothing." It was true. He had done nothing wrong. Why did people always assume such betrayals were their fault, including herself? But she had learned differently in recent days. Sometimes, no one was to blame. Though, that was not the case today. This cruel fault, she could only claim as her own.

Colin swung his heated eyes away from her, obviously trying to avoid the coming answer as he mumbled his question. "You love him?" He blinked, frowning, already hurting.

"Yes." Jackie shuddered, afraid of his reaction.

But, feeling like a coward, she quickly looked away. Her fingers fidgeted. She could see, out of the corner of her eye, his face balk. His eyes closed, as if he had been hit by something unexpected, something painful. His body swayed and caught itself. His head fell. And it was then that her heart broke with his. She found something beautiful in the connection.

Tears stung her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I just," Jackie meandered through her own thoughts. What had happened between them? She loved him. He had been the object of her affection for such a long time now. She would have killed for him. "I…"

"Don't you love me anymore," she heard him ask. "At all?" The warmth, and the want, in his voice were inviting, drawing her into his agony. Jackie stepped closer. Only she could make it go away, and the craving was strong to oblige the duty.

"I do. I love you so much," she said, making his drawn eyes flash over to her.

Jackie froze and closed her eyes under his scrutiny. She figured neither of them would know what to say, but realized when his hand grabbed hers, that she was wrong about him. He knew exactly what to say, what to do. He knew her from when she was a billboard. He knew how her mind toiled.

"Come here," Colin whispered and pulled Jackie gently toward him. The wind seemed to sing outside as she narrowed the space between them and touched her stomach to his with some reluctance.

Jackie looked up feebly. "Can you ever forgive me?" She couldn't help but let it slip out. It was her only remaining burden, and it hurt not knowing.

His eyebrows crinkled. "I don't know," he answered, his tone warm. "I…" He bit his bottom lip and sucked it in. "I told you, I love you," He squeezed his eyes shut—his teeth clenched, "…and it pisses me off. I love you so much, Jackie."

Jackie frowned. It wasn't what she was expecting, to say the least, but nothing about this month could have been foreseen. That fact was the not the strangest of revelations either. She had been expecting rage and yelling, maybe a broken window. Why, she didn't know, considering he had never shown much of a temper in the twenty months they had been together. But still, she _had_ slept with _Steven Hyde_ —her _ex_ -boyfriend, who had, in horrid fact, ditched her for a stripper—twenty-seven times in the last thirty-one days. That had to earn her a raised voice, at least.

Colin's jaw tightened while his hands rose to nearly meet each other. "I'm this close to killing him, Jackie. He doesn't deserve you."

"Colin..."

"Jackie, he left you for a stripper. He doesn't want the things you want, the things _we_ want." Colin shook his head, and looked away to calm his temper. "He's just going to leave you again, and I'm not going to be there when he does."

Jackie swallowed, her expression full of concern as Hyde's defense moved to the tip of her tongue. And as much as she knew what Colin was trying to do, especially given the look of restrained desperation on his face, she couldn't stop his words from seeping into her heart. "I…I'm…He promised not to hurt me again." The defense had come out shaky, unsure, and she knew it would become fodder against her.

Colin pinched his lips together as a deep breath shuddered into his lungs. Shaking his head, he started to wander away but came back as quickly as he had left. His face came within inches of hers, where he closed his eyes gently.

"Just tell me you don't want me anymore…baby… Just…" His hands held her head as his eyes opened again. There was a battle raging behind them. They were furious. "You think I want to be here? You think I _like_ this, Jackie?" There it was. Her raised voice. " _You_ cheated on _me_! And now _I'm_ fucking standing here, trying to get _you_ back! It's…" Composing himself, Colin swallowed and touched his palm to his mouth, sweeping away the sour words, it seemed. "Jackie," His voice was calm again, "just tell me there's no chance for you and me to fix this, and I'll go. I'll leave you alone. I promise."

Jackie could see the fury behind his eyes, the love, boiling, but restrained.

Why were they always saying that now? Why did they suddenly _need_ her permission to walk away? It was foreign to her, the chivalry of men, and she frowned, insulted.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she shouted at him. "Stop it! This is not your fault! It's mine! You're _not_ supposed to want me back! You're supposed to hate me and say mean things!"

Colin grimaced. "You're my fiancé," he growled. "Obviously I take that a little more seriously than you do."

"I'm not anyone's _anything_ , Colin," Jackie reminded him gently, absentmindedly rubbing the fingers from her right hand over the ghost of the only engagement ring to have ever been hers. She looked up, trying hard to brave back her tears as she remembered her rescinded dream. "We're not engaged anymore, remember?"

She watched his eyes soften, to her dismay. He was making this too hard.

"I'm sorry about that," Colin whispered. His breath caught, his lips rubbing together pensively as he replaced his breath through his nose. "I didn't mean what I said. I was pissed off. I'm still pissed off, but I'm not just going to give you up to him without a fight."

It was then that Jackie began to hyperventilate and become dizzy. "I need some air."

"What?"

"It's too hot in here," she shouted petulantly as she hurried to find an exit. "I hate sweating!"

Jackie reached the rarely-used double doors that led to the facade of the building and shoved them open, squinting at the sudden invasion of hazy morning light on her eyes. She sucked the frigid December air into her lungs, just as the fact that it was sleeting registered in her mind.

The cold hit her arms first. She should have brought her jacket.

Not but a few seconds later, soft, warm lips touched her ear from behind, beginning to whisper unfair, and undeserved, words of love. The things Romeo might have told Juliet beneath clean, white cotton sheets, had he been Irish, angry, and dreadfully in love. Her back grew remarkably warm from his presence, the heat radiating around her body in time with his arms.

Jackie wanted to close her eyes, but instead she turned around to face her suitor...

Hyde got out of his car, his mind sorting out the logistics of his life's newest, and most immediate, plans. He was happy, though, as he walked up a narrow sidewalk carrying everyone's breakfast. The meter of his anxiety, of their month together, continued to tick, while one nasty and irrefutable truth about the temperament of human jealousy seethed. Not that it is selfish or 'sinful' or impulsive—nor is it truly wrong in the errant twinkle of the right eyes—but that it is uncontrollable, like a rabid, hungry beast that needs to feed and grow and possess. It makes us mammal—warm-blooded—and inside its red haze, a man could sell his soul and not know the difference; nor would he care.

Staring though the rain, Hyde clenched the muscles around his violated eyes. Concentrated jealousy raked like a lath of nails across his chest, burning hot at the sight of them. Her body against his. Her fingers in his wet hair. His hands moving down her sides. Colin had what was his, but worse, his eyes were open wide, watching what he held in his arms, watching her head move as she spoke in his ear, breathing her in.

Distorted images whipping him, Hyde had to close his eyes and try to let out all the sour air in his lungs. It was either that or turn toward the veiled sun and never look back. He could hear his own heart hammering away in his chest; adrenaline pumped hard into his veins and forced his feet toward the building. He couldn't look at them. He had to focus on the door and swallow down the animal thirst to crush Colin's skull into the pavement and smile, to kiss her, and claim her as his own, once and for all.

"Oh, good. You're back." Donna's smiling face passed him by. "Hyde? Hyde?"

He had to keep moving, keep the mission in the forefront of his mind. Food to the cancer chick. Hyde closed his eyes again. Food to the cancer chick. Her hands were touching his face. Were they about to kiss?

"Here," Hyde growled and handed Brooke the two bags in his hands, the blistering sting of Jackie and Colin still stabbing at his throat.

Looking inside the bags, Brooke frowned. "No orange juice," she pouted.

Rigid eyes shot her a glower, making her frown deepen into a sneer.

"Hyde. What's wrong with _you_?" Donna walked into the room behind Hyde as he ignored Brooke's question and sat down to place his forehead in his hands.

"Hyde?"

Hyde's jaw tightened. Just what he needed. Shit from these two.

"Why did you ignore me just now in the hall?" Donna continued.

"Hyde," Brooke followed Donna. "What's wrong?"

"Hyde!"

Hyde held up a hand. "Can you two just… _shut up_ for a second, please?"

"What is your problem?" Then Donna sucked in a deep breath. "Oh… You saw Jackie and Colin."

Hyde looked up, just as Brooke looked over at Donna, similarly stunned. "What? Why? What are they doing?"

Donna kept her reprimanding eyes on Hyde, however, as she shook her head. "Hyde. They're just talking. She probably told him about you, and he's upset. Can you blame the poor guy? Just let her say her goodbyes. You got yours with Jessica."

Sighing, Brooke turned back to Hyde, a stern look of disapproval in her eyes. "You know, this was always your problem, Hyde. This is why you two broke up in the first place. You _never_ trusted her."

"How would _you_ know?" Hyde sneered at Brooke, resenting the double-team. "You weren't even around."

"Because it's true," Donna interjected in Brooke's defense. "You jump to conclusions, Hyde, and that's why you lost her. _Twice._ Are you going for number three?"

Hyde pursed his lips. "She cheated on me with him before."

"Oh, come on. She did not," Donna rolled her eyes. "She was confused and upset and she _broke it off_ _with you_ because were being all 'Hydey' with the 'I'm scared of marriage' crap and _then_ she slept with him."

"No." Hyde stood up, infuriated. "I said, I wasn't going to be threatened into marriage, so she picked him."

Donna didn't budge to his tantrum, instead she folded her arms over her chest. "Yeah, well she _wanted_ you, and now she _picks_ you."

"Does she?" Hyde asked, his doubting, irate stare on her, truly wondering. "Why? Because he found out about us? And now he's probably saying he'll forgive her, so they're outside hugging and making up." Every muscle in his body stiffened at the idea. His hand balled into fists as he began to pace. "I can't believe this."

Feigning apathy, Donna raised her eyebrows. "Why don't you _ask_ her instead of jumping to conclusions?" she suggested calmly, hoping the emotion would strike him, too.

Hyde sat back down. "I don't want to talk to her."

"Then you don't really want her," Brooke cut in, folding her arms, too. "So maybe he _should_ get her back."

Hyde looked up glaringly, stunned, angry, concerned.

Brooke remained stern.

"Steven."

Everyone looked over toward the sound of Jackie's distressed voice. Her wet eyes were locked on Hyde only, though, her chin quivering. "Puddin' Pop?" Her voice shook.

Hyde shot up, moving toward her cheerless face as if his jealous affliction had never occurred. It was forgotten for the time being. She was crying, and he wondered what Colin did to her.

He touched the sides of her shoulders with both hands. "Hey. Are you alright?"

Jackie shook her head no.

"C'mon." Hyde took her hand and pulled her down the hallway, searching for privacy and finding it in a dark closet shelved with plastic bins and board games. Closing the door behind them, he tried to find the light cord he had seen coming in. "What happened?" His hands grasped at empty air, though. "Damn it."

"Steven," Jackie called quietly, her voice breaking. "Please. Just hold me."

Hyde gave up, hearing the desperation in her voice, and moved toward her. She was just a dark, shaking mass against a small wall by the door. A shred of light peeked through, exposing her profile as she hung her head.

"Hey." Hyde raised his arm. His hands wanted to touch her soft skin, his fingers her hair. Had been wanting to all morning. He watched her close her eyes and heard her sigh when his touch finally reached her, so he relaxed, too. It was nice to know he still had that effect on her.

Offering more of himself, he brought their bodies together.

Jackie inhaled deeply, despondently, and flung her arms around his neck. "I'm killing him."

"You're killing _me_ ," Hyde whispered deeply into her ear.

"I know." Jackie shut her eyes and squeezed them tight, trying to push away the guilt that had consumed her all month. It refused to leave her. But it didn't matter right now. Warmth still spread though her like brandy. Hyde was there with her, in the safety of this dark closet, his breath gentle, level, sending the world temporarily away.

She knew he had seen her with Colin. Colin had seen Hyde walking away and let her follow, saying he'd be back later.

Yet Hyde said nothing about it.

She was killing them both.

"What the hell's going on, Jackie?" Hyde breathed out against her cheek, testing his way toward her mouth, so she grabbed his face and pressed her lips forcefully to his.

Jackie opened her mouth quickly to let him in, and he obliged. Her heart battered the inside of her chest, thumping hard and fast, as his tongue caressed hers with sudden urgency. It felt good, so gratifyingly desperate, the way she sought his comfort, through his lips and arms. It was easy to be here with him, inside his warm mouth, smashed up against him like this. It felt natural. It felt real.

Unintentionally, Jackie whimpered against him. Her hands clutched at his hair. She kissed him as roughly as humanly possible, feeling much better by the time his lips moved to taste her neck and throat, leaving her to breathe and soak him in.

"Don't leave a hickey," she demanded quietly.

"I don't do hickeys, Jackie," Hyde whispered back, sounding slighted as he left gentle, sucking kisses on her neck. "That's you."

Through a smile, Jackie closed her eyes. His lips were invigorating her skin, one breathy, hot, open-mouthed kiss at a time. "Oh, you make me feel so good, Steven."

"Shh…" Hyde pressed his hips into hers, wincing at the agreeable friction it created between them while he bit at her earlobe. "You feel that?"

A thick, deep moan from between her parted lips replaced a 'yes' and a subsequent whine encouraged even more pressing, which encouraged more moaning, and more kissing, more biting, more sucking, _more_ pressing, _more_...

"God, Steven," Jackie heaved, becoming even more intoxicated by him as he slid his hand down the back of her thigh and raised it over his hip, bringing the crux of their bodies that much closer together. She felt a sharp tingle, a spasm, where he pushed anxiously against her. She was close to tumbling over the edge of reason with him, to giving in.

But this couldn't happen here, not in a church on Brooke's wedding day, a nagging voice reminded her.

"Baby, wait," Jackie let out breathlessly, trying to avoid his lips. "No. No!" She shoved Hyde back. "We cannot do it in a closet at my best friend's wedding!"

Catching his breath, Hyde frowned, confused, and a little sad. "Why not?"

Jackie had to think about it. Yeah, why not? _Why_ not? People do relieve stress in different ways. Why not sex in a closet at your best friend's wedding? It was as valid as any other coping mechanism.

The next thing she knew Hyde had filled her mouth again with his. Her back was pinned to the wall. God, his body felt so pleasurably thick against hers…

 _No._

Drawing her head back, Jackie tried to force her hedonistic thoughts away again. His lips were relentless, though, and moved down her neck to her chest, his hands clenching harder at the hair at the base of her scalp.

"No. We just _can't,_ Steven. It's wrong. And you're messing up my hair."

With a sudden grin, Hyde yanked on the hunk of her curls, driving her chin upwards with a huff. "You're sure?" he demanded smoothly, leaving another kiss at her throat, just below her jaw. "It could be fun, being so wrong."

Utterly convinced that he was so, so right about being so wrong, Jackie let out a sharp whimper. Her shoulders fell. "God, you're sexy when you take control," she breathed out and crushed his lips with hers. Her hands went immediately for his belt as his tongue demanded more of her mouth, but she pulled away again, thwarted by rational thought. "No, wait," she sighed sharply. "We can't."

Hyde groaned as Jackie pushed him back again and opened the door before he could offer any more temptation. "We need to get dressed."

"Jackie."

Jackie turned around. "What?"

She waited, but he took too long, thought too hard.

"We have to go," she insisted again and left the room in a hurry, adjusting her clothes. "Don't put your tux on until it's almost time. It'll get wrinkled," she yelled back.

Hyde sighed, frustrated, and lowered his head. That had gained him nothing, except for her lingering taste on his lips and a raging hard-on. He would have to do more than make out with her in closets to beat Colin.

Hyde blew out a breath as he walked out. "Shit…"

* * *

Her body on edge, her mind scattered, Jackie stomped into the bridal sweet, making a point to let her presence known. "Ugh! Men!"

Seated at the vanity, Brooke held up a wide-toothed comb as she watched Jackie approach her in the mirror. "What did Hyde do now?"

Jackie grabbed the comb and began to arrange Brooke's freshly shaped curls. "He's being…too nice!"

On a small couch nearby, Donna flipped a magazine as Christie listened attentively by her side, chewing on her breakfast. "This again?"

"Yes!" Jackie yanked on Brooke's hair.

"Ow."

"Sorry."

Jackie heard a noise come from behind herself. A giggle? She turned around, unpleasantly surprised to see a small statured blond in a recliner by the door. "Excuse me. Who are you?" she said with a dirty look.

"Oh," the girl straightened up and smiled. "Hi. I'm Brooke's cousin, Danielle... From Denver... I'm a bridesmaid."

Jackie appeared unimpressed. "Are you dating anyone?"

"Um…I'm engaged."

"So, then you're not some skanky blond sent to destroy my day?"

"Um…no?" Danielle frowned at Brooke, who was stifling a smile.

"Fine then." Jackie returned to the bride's hair. "Anyway," she continued. "I know Steven saw me and Colin hugging. But he didn't say anything. He didn't yell or anything. He wanted to do it in the janitor's closet instead."

Donna's expression turned to one of disgust. "Well, maybe he's letting you say goodbye to Colin."

"That's another thing!" Jackie's eyebrows flinched into a distant frown. Her fingers unconsciously combed through Brooke's hair, her eyes set on some inanimate object on the vanity. "Colin wants me back."

"What?"

* * *

Pacing the church's altar with his groomsmen lounging around him, Kelso studied a single piece of paper. "Love is a many splend…splendored…I don't…Who says splendored?"

"The glorious William Holden," Fez, who was seated on the steps, smiled proudly.

"No. Frank Sinatra said it, dork," Hyde cut in from the groom's side first pew. He was lying on his back, opposite of Eric, who lay on the bride's side.

"William Holden!"

"Frank!"

"Well, it sucks!" Kelso yelled over the both of them. "So, who cares?"

"It does not suck!" Angrily getting to his feet, Fez ripped the paper from Kelso's hands, leaving Kelso with a stunned expression. "If you do not like it, then write your own vows!"

Kelso's mouth turned down in anger. His jaw set. "Give it back!"

"Say you are sorry," Fez insisted calmly.

"Fine, I'm sorry!" Kelso screeched and snatched the crumpled piece from Fez's grasp, grumbling as he returned to his memorizing trance and began to pace once again. "…Stupid…Love is a many splintered thing…"

Staring at the ceiling, Hyde tossed up a bouquet of flowers and caught it. "What do you think he wants," he directed toward Eric.

"Well," Eric cringed, "I didn't want to freak you out, but he sort-of said he was going to try and get her back from you."

Hyde scoffed. "Yeah, I figured as much." He tossed his bouquet in the air again and caught it. "As long as he doesn't give her that ring back, I should be okay."

"Why you think…you think that'll send her running back to him?"

Hyde huffed. "That's like waving candy in front of a baby."

"Ooh, candy."

"Or Fez."

Eric shook his head. "That's just wrong, man. Even for Jackie."

"Not really," Fez interrupted, shaking his head thoughtfully. "Jackie had been waiting for Colin to propose for a long time. They were pretty happy. And it's not like Hyde will ever propose…Well, not unless Jackie changes occupations," he snickered.

Hyde threw his bouquet at Fez's face.

"Ow, Hyde."

"You mention that again today, and you're dead."

"Okay, okay." Fez frowned and glanced over at Eric before setting his eyes back on an irate Hyde. Behind him, Kelso still paced and memorized. "Why don't you just propose, Hyde," Fez suggested snappishly. "Then you and Colin are even…kind of, he didn't marry a…" Fez swallowed, noticing Hyde's expression. "…he didn't do anything bad to her. Maybe you'll stand a chance against such a freakishly-handsome foreigner."

Hyde rolled his eyes.

"No," Eric sat up and got to his feet, pointing at Hyde. "That's a bunch of crap! You shouldn't have to propose just to keep her, man. If she's going to choose Colin over you just because he gave her some shiny, new diamond then screw her, man. You're better off without her."

"But he loves her," Fez countered.

"So, what? She obviously doesn't love him back if he has to propose to beat Colin. I mean, I like Colin and all, and he's doing what he feels like he has to, but…" Eric shook his head as Hyde sat up, listening intently. Eric frowned to his friend in seriousness. "You'll always wonder, man. Why, you know? Why she _really_ chose you…"

* * *

"You girls ready yet?" Red asked through a small crack in the door and straightened up when Brooke's cousin, Danielle, opened it all the way. Behind him, Hyde stood, also dressed in a tuxedo.

Brooke stepped out from her small private bridal room and sighed self-consciously, her body decorated in white antique silk and Bobbin lace. Her chestnut hair, smoothed into large curls, fell loosely over shoulders, clouded by a sheer veil.

"Whoa," Hyde muttered, awed by the bride as he nodded. "You look beautiful."

Brooke took her bouquet from Jackie. "Thank you, Hyde."

Smiled proudly, Red presented his bent elbow to her. "You ready, my dear?"

Nervousness worrying her veiled face, Brooke grabbed her stomach. "I think so." Her expression rivaled that of a nauseated mother-to-be.

Jackie brought her hand to her mouth. "Oh, my God," she squealed, bringing her hands to her mouth. "Steven's right. You look so beautiful. Michael's going to freak when he sees you!"

"Brooke," Donna shook her head. "You really do look beautiful."

"Thank you." Brooke closed her eyes, her hand moving to her erratically-beating heart. "I can do this, right? God, there are probably so many people out there."

"You have your vows memorized," Jackie reminded her. "You look gorgeous. You can do this."

"I don't think I can." Brooke's breathing increased in tempo. Her hands shook as she smoothed the hips of her dress.

Jackie stepped toward her friend as everyone froze. "Brooke?"

"I'm, I, I can't."

Hyde glanced at Jackie before returning his eyes to Brooke. "Kel—Michael's out there waiting, Brooke. He's pretty nervous, too. But he's there, waiting."

Brooke opened her eyes. "He is?"

Hyde nodded. "He's naming off his favorite cheeses."

She laughed, prompting the others to smile and breathe a short sigh of relief.

Red tried again. "Are you sure you're ready, sweetheart?"

Still wary, Brooke nodded and stepped toward him. "Just hold onto me, okay," was her only request. "This dress is so tight, if go down, I'm not coming back up."

Red smiled, offering his left arm. "Well, if it's one thing Red Forman is good at, it's keeping a lady on her toes."

"Thank you, Red." Brooke left with him as everyone followed them out. Hyde waited for Jackie and smiled, looking her over as everyone disappeared down the hall. It took him a moment to speak. She had been the most beautiful woman in the room, and that was saying a lot. Her dress was long and emerald green, somehow making both her eyes the same color. Her dark hair was down and curled with a single diamond clip holding one side away from her ear. Her face was that of an angel.

Jackie smiled. "Well…"

"You're beautiful," Hyde smiled, staring into her green eyes. "You're always beautiful."

Her smile brightened. "Thank you," she giggled, a little embarrassed, but not really, and reached out to touch his dressed-up chest. "I can't believe you're in a tuxedo, Steven. I never thought I'd see it. You…" She ran her thumb along the upper ridge of his cummerbund. "You look amazing."

Hyde grinned. "I clean up nice."

"Yeah," Jackie laughed.

Hyde's face turned serious. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Steven, we have to go," Jackie said sweetly.

Hyde blinked. "I was just wondering what Col…"

Jackie glanced down the hall where everyone had gone. "Have you seen the inside of this church?" she cut in as if he hadn't spoken, and Hyde suspected that it wasn't an accident. "…those flowers, the ones lining the pews, I picked those out," she smiled proudly. "They're white calla lilies, grown special to have that pink splash. Aren't they beautiful?" Jackie finished her dialogue with a nod, her dazed, over-excited eyes settling back into the softer Jackie he was used to dealing with in private. "We'll talk about it later, Steven. I promise. Okay? We really have to go."

She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and walked off. His life flashed before his eyes. It was blank. Bright white. He'd never felt so motionless, so trapped inside of a day.

Hyde sighed, then followed her...

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

Hyde opened a random door. "Kelso!" Nothing. "Damn it." He hurried further down the hall to the last door, which led to a large stairwell at the side of the building. It was brightly lit with the natural light of large paned windows.

There, Kelso sat on the first landing.

Hyde waved him over. "Kelso! Man. It's time. Come on."

"Hyde," Kelso stared into nothing, shaking his head. "I need you to tell Brooke I can't."

"What?"

"I can't do this, man." As Hyde stepped in, horrified, Kelso stood up slowly, an ill expression blanching on his face. "Just…tell her I'm sorry."

Hyde narrowed his eyes in fury. "No fucking way! I'm not telling her that." Without warning, he launched himself down the first flight and grabbed his friend's tuxedo jacket, dragging him out of the stairwell.

Kelso squirmed and shoved back against his friend. "Cut it out, Hyde!"

Out in the hallway, Eric and Fez ran up, dressed in their tuxes.

"What's going on?" Eric asked, his breathing labored. "Where was he?"

"Dumbass, here, is trying to back out," Hyde informed them irately.

"No, Kelso," Fez groaned in disappointment.

"Wait, hang on, Hyde. Let him go." Eric stepped up to the groom as Hyde shoved Kelso away from himself in disgust. "Kelso, man, what's wrong?"

"She's too good for me…" Kelso looked at his friends, near tears. "All I'm going to do is hurt her, man. She's so smart and good and responsible, and I'm…me!" His shoulder's fell. "How am I supposed to stand up there in front of all those people and…They all know, man! They all know I don't deserve someone like Brooke. I just hold her back."

"Kelso, it doesn't…"

"Man, Eric, you can't say _anything_! You ditched Donna the day before your wedding for the same reason."

"They didn't have kids, Kelso!" Hyde shouted. "Now get your ass out there!" He stepped up to Kelso, his jaw set hard. "I'll give you five minutes. We're going to go wait by the priest. If you're not there in five minutes, I'll tell him you ran like a little girl," he nodded. "But if you don't, if you leave her there, Kelso, we're not friends anymore…Got it?" Hyde pivoted around and patted Fez's shoulder. "Let's go."

Eric followed, but Fez hesitated as he stared unblinkingly at his best friend, his face pained, disappointed, before he finally turned to walk away.

Kelso's head fell…

Jackie raised Brooke's train and let it fall back into place with a smile.

"God! I can't _wait_ to be the bride!" After she said it, though, her smile fell. She kept forgetting. Her choice was made. She would never be one. Not if she wanted Hyde. There was going to have to be a trade-off.

After fanning Brooke's train to perfection, Jackie frowned and stepped around her, getting back into line in front of her, Betsy at her side. "Bets," she whispered down, tapping the daydreaming flower girl.

Betsy handed Jackie her bouquet back.

"Thank you. Now, as we walk, just toss the petals on the ground for your mom to walk on. I'll have to let go of your hand, but I'll be right next to you."

Jackie sighed, then, watching as Donna grabbed Bradley's hand in front of her. Directly in front of Donna stood Brooke's favorite cousin, Danielle, bouquet in hand, ready to lead the bridal party down the aisle.

With each breath, the scent of cold mahogany filled Jackie's nostrils. The feeling made her shiver. This vestibule was just so cold. There was an excitement in the air, though, and a strange sense of déjà vu. She had been here several times. In her dreams. Alone she would stand until her father would step to her ghostly side. The doors would open and a bright light would saturate her retinas. Each step after was always slow and lumbering, the ground below her feet thick like wet sand. Always mired down in that special foot glue of dreams, she could never reach the end to find her groom. His face would elude her time and time again, forever indistinguishable.

The dark, mahogany door clicked, and Jackie looked up from her dreamful reverie as Colin slipped through. "We're just waiting on Kelso."

"On Michael?" Brooke frowned and glanced worriedly at Red, who simply shrugged.

Stepping over, Colin gave Jackie an appreciative once over and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "You look so beautiful," he whispered before straightening up. "Just give him a minute," he told Brooke and Red. "I'm sure he just got tied up or something."

Sideways, Jackie eyed Colin. He was lying. "C'mere!" She yanked him toward her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he lied again casually and touched her cheek, a slight, wayward smile crossing his lips. "You'll make a beautiful bride."

His amorous gaze made Jackie's heart swoon momentarily. It thumped erratically, questioningly, as he walked back through the double doors and disappeared again, their lookout.

Donna laughed as she watched him go and turned back to Jackie. "What a shit."

"Do you see what I'm dealing with?"

"Yeah," Donna raised her eyebrows in interest. "He's not giving up on you. I'm surprised after what happened. _Both_ he and Hyde are acting weird today."

Jackie groaned…

Hyde glanced at his watch. He felt sick. "Forman, what do we do?"

"Give him a few more minutes."

Fez came running in from a side door. "He's not there. I think he left," he whispered gruffly to his friends.

"Fuck," Hyde muttered and then smiled sheepishly at the priest, who waited with them. "I mean… _fudge_."

Eric shook his head. "Kelso wouldn't just bail on Brooke…I mean…He's Kelso. Maybe he just got lost."

"It's, like, a ten-foot walk," Hyde snapped.

"Shh! He's gotten lost in less," Eric whispered, frowning. His expression soured. "God. Donna's going to kill me."

"Why _you_?" Hyde grimaced. "It's Kelso she's going to pummel."

"Nope." Eric shook his head, positive of his claim. "This is just going to remind her of what _I_ did. She is _going_ to kill me."

Hyde nodded, a worried scowl pinching his face. "You're right…Crap…Watch, somehow, in Jackie's brain, this'll all come back to me marrying Sam instead of her. Freaking Kelso. He's ruining it for all of us."

"That son of a bitch," Fez grumbled quietly from between them. "I am going to kill him myself."

Hyde looked at his watch again and waved Colin back down the aisle curtly.

Reluctantly, the foreigner responded and made the trip down the aisle toward them.

"Tell Jackie about Kelso, and no one else," Hyde whispered to him. "Tell her to get ready to tell Brooke."

"Shouldn't _you_ tell Brooke?" Fez cut in, nodding politely at an older woman seated in the audience who was eying them strangely.

"No," Hyde muttered. "She'll take it better from Jackie."

Colin nodded, agreeing, and walked off.

"Whoa! Colin, wait…"

* * *

Seven Minutes Later

Giving Red and the girls one final, single nod, Colin pushed open the double mahogany doors, letting in the gentle hum of 'Cannon in D'. The crowd turned, reverberating a sound that echoed loudly. A young boy, the son of Brooke's co-worker, who Colin had enlisted, held open one door as Colin held open the other. Both waited as Danielle put on a smile, gripped her small bouquet, and stepped out.

Ten paces later, Donna followed with Bradley.

The doors wide open in front of her, a million eyes, two by two, beginning to shift in her direction, Jackie breathed deeply and left the decision to her God-daughter. "You ready, Betsy Bear?"

Betsy, her hair wound in tight, loop curls, looked terribly worried, but nodded still.

"Just look at your flowers. It'll be okay." Taking a deep breath, Jackie stepped through the doorway's threshold with Betsy, conscious of Colin's eyes as she passed him, her own searching for Hyde's and finding them set on her. She ignored the rest.

 _Step… Pause… Step... Pause…Step…Pause…_ In her head, a favorite Carly Simon song echoed… _Baby Sneezes… Step… Pause… Mommy pleases… Step… Pause… Daddy breezes in…_

Her knees shook. Her heart trembled. She was only the maid of honor today, but she understood the importance of the role, the best friend, the keeper of the train, the twinkle in the best man's eye.

Smiling shyly away from Hyde's gaze, Jackie turned her eyes on the priest. It helped her concentration a bit.

Beside her, Betsy's little hands reached into a ribbon-laced basket and haphazardly tossed. Pink rose petals flew only inches and scattered to the floor. Up ahead, Bradley, holding his ring bearer's pillow, yanked on Donna's hand and took off running toward his father.

Jackie had to laugh a little as Kelso picked up his son, kissed his hair, and handed him, and his pillow, back to Hyde.

Donna shook her head, sorry for the slip, but Hyde only nodded at her and popped Bradley higher in his right arm. The other groomsmen laughed quietly as the boy squirmed and reached for his father, giving Hyde a hard time.

Jackie smiled.

 _Step… Pause… Step… Pause… So good on paper… Step… Pause… So romantic… Step… Pause… But so bewildering…_

The collective faith in the institution of marriage was evident in the eyes of the people all around her. It was important to them. Meaningful. Even those she knew to be the most skeptical appeared to appreciate its significance today. Even Hyde stood a little straighter than usual. To his right, Kelso stood frozen, terrified, but because he, too, believed. They all did today.

The crowd shifted, their bodies twisting more severely backwards. The bride was in view, Jackie knew instantly as she reached the priest, and a rumble shook the floor as the music changed. Every guest rose to their feet in respect and tradition, and Kelso's mouth opened. Every set of eyes trained Brooke's slow journey down the aisle with Red, except Hyde's. His smiled at Jackie as she finished her last few steps.

Step… Pause… Step… Pause… _I know nothing stays the same… But if you're willing to play the game… It's coming around again…_

Jackie reached the end of the line, a feat never even accomplished in her dreams. Looking back sent her mind into a tailspin. Brooke, her best friend in the world, was stunning, and Kelso—by the looks of him, was more in love than his own body could handle. His overcome eyes were locked on his bride as he accepted her from Red and Brooke's mother, who walked up.

"Who gives this woman in marriage?" the priest asked.

"I do," Caroline Spencer solely responded with a teary smile and kissed the veil over her only daughter's cheek.

"Thanks, Mom," Brooke whispered.

As Red and Caroline took their seats on either side of Kitty, across from Kelso's parents, Brooke managed the few steps up to the priest, with her groom's help.

Jackie knelt down to fix Brooke's train and when she stood, Hyde caught her eye. He was gently frowning at her, and she wondered why as the priest began to speak.

"Lord, behold our family here assembled. We thank you for this place in which we dwell, for the love that unites us, for the peace accorded us this day…"

Several minutes passed, at least, and Jackie wobbled on her feet. It was hard to tell how long she had been staring at Hyde, but he was staring back, which wasn't helping her concentration. She blinked to snap out of her trance and peeked at the last pew, where Colin sat alone with his head down.

Feeling torn, she returned to the ceremony.

 _And I believe in love… But what else can I do… I'm so in love with you…_

The priest smiled at Kelso and Brooke, becoming casual for a moment. "I believe you have decided to exchange privately-written vows as well as the traditional?"

"We have," Kelso nodded.

"Michael, you may begin," the priest informed him.

"Oh…" Nervously, Kelso glanced around at the audience and then looked at Brooke. "Okay then." He cleared his throat. "Um…Uh…Love is a…" He glanced at the audience again. "Um…"

"Michael, look at me," Brooke whispered, recognizing the expression on his face. He was terrified, his eyeballs coated with a thick layer of saline.

Kelso returned his dying eyes to Brooke, who chose to prematurely lift her veil back over her head and give him a bright, comforting smile. Her eyes locked on his.

Happily, she nodded, encouraging him to keep going. "It's okay. It's just you and me."

Kelso risked a slight smile as relief washed over him, and he felt, for the first time today, like he was not alone. He swallowed and looked down at his piece of paper before crumpling it and stuffing it in his pocket. "I, um," He turned to the priest and then back to Brooke. "I had Fez write my vows," he admitted apologetically. "He's better at that stuff. The thing is: I don't want to disappoint you, baby. But,"—he smiled at her—"sometimes I think you're the only person who doesn't get disappointed in me." Kelso sighed, readying himself. "I love you, Brooke, and I know that you're really smart and good and that you could do so much better than me. But I know, too, that you love me anyway. I don't know what'd I do if you didn't. I don't even want to think about it… But I do want to say that us doing it in the bathroom at that Molly Hatchet concert was the _best_ stupid thing I ever did."

Tears in her eyes, Brooke broke out into laughter, making Kelso laugh, too. Neither noticed, nor cared about, the strange glances some in the audience members shared with each other.

Murmuring could be heard, but neither listened.

Kelso smiled, obviously at ease finally, and touched Brooke's cheek. "I promise to love you forever and ever, Brooke, and I will do my best, every day, to earn your love." Timidly, he glanced at the priest. "That's it." He smiled at his bride. "Oh, and you look so hot right now. I can't wait for the honeymoon. No kids," he said pumping his fist. "Score!"

Raising his eyebrows, the priest turned to Brooke. "Brooke?"

Still smiling, Brooke turned at Kelso. "Michael, I borrowed my vows from a Marie Claire magazine." She shook her head, wiping the meaningless words she had memorized from her mind. "I just want to say that…Well, when I was a little girl, I used to think that after my career as a writer slash librarian, maybe when I was thirty-five or so, I would marry some famous novelist or an architect, or some boring schlub like that," she smiled shyly, "…but in the back of my head, I always craved someone exactly like you, funny and sweet and full of life. You're my best friend, and you're fun and kind and warm, and you're a great father to our children. It's _me_ who's lucky, Michael…God, I used to be so uptight before you came along."

"Yeah, you were," Kelso blurted out.

Brooke laughed.

"I so was." She flipped her eyes in exaggeration and shrugged. "But you make me so happy. You make our children so _ridiculously_ happy, Michael. And all I have to say is that you _better_ love me forever and ever because I'm going to be loving you." She smiled and glanced at the priest. "That's all."

Watching them, Jackie smiled at Hyde, and he winked back as Bradley quietly watched his parents from his Godfather's arms…

Six minutes later, the priest beamed and held up his arms as Kelso and Brooke turned to face their audience.

"Ladies and gentleman! It is my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kelso!"

The entire church erupted into cheers and applause, jumping to their feet as Kelso and Brooke happily hurried down the aisle.

Unable to stop smiling, Jackie took Betsy's hand and met up with Hyde and Bradley. She hooked her arm in his as they turned forward.

 _Baby sneezes…_

Hyde grabbed her hand. "Let's get the hell out of here," he told her over the sound of the crowd, laughing as Bradley clapped excitedly in his arms, screaming and following the crowd's cue.

 _Mommy pleases…_

Jackie avoided Colin's face as the four of them approached and passed him. She didn't even want to think about how much it must have hurt to see her and Hyde together like this, children in hand, looking like a family. He had to know how ingrained Hyde was into her everyday life, though. He had to know.

 _Daddy breezes in…_

When the entire wedding party reached the foyer of the church, they all hugged each other, laughing as they recalled Hyde's troubles with Bradley and congratulating Brooke and Kelso, who hugged their excited kids.

And then Hyde pulled Jackie aside.

"I really need to talk to you," he whispered in her ear. His eyes darted around the crowd as if they were getting ready to exchange secret government information. "Back here."

Hyde pulled Jackie around a corner toward some benches and pinned her to the wall, covering her mouth with his. Her eyes shot open as his slick tongue thrust past her lips and stole her breath, but only a second later she settled deeply into the kiss and flung her arms around his neck.

Her passion for weddings and marriage, for once, was not being misplaced or pushed away, but being released where it was welcomed with enthusiasm…for today at least. It was not hard for her imagine being his new bride as she kissed him. Dressed to the hilt as the whole world watched. Melting into warm molasses at the love in his eyes as he publicly proclaimed his love for her…

 _And now you may kiss your bride…_

A long minute later, Hyde pulled back and frowned at her.

"What?" Jackie asked him, dazed, wondering if he had noticed that she was fantasizing. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't like that you had to kneel down and fix her dress like that."

"What? Steven, I'm the maid of honor. That's my job."

He clutched the sides of her head. "People should be doing that for you."

"What?"

"Jackie! Hyde!" Donna turned the corner and grabbed Jackie's hand. "We have to take pictures now before it starts raining again. Come on."

"No, wait!" Struggling to get free from Donna, Jackie placed her scattered gaze on Hyde again. Her free hand grasped at his tuxedo coat. "What did you mean by that?"

Hyde only blinked.

"Come on!" Donna insisted and yanked on Jackie. "It's sunny!"

"Ugh! Sometimes I really hate you, Donna!"

"They're here!" Donna yelled out as they ran out into the cold, windy, but temporarily sunny December afternoon.

Jackie looked behind herself at Hyde. He was following. "Steven..."

Like a rag doll, she was grabbed by the shoulders every few minutes, placed into position by the photographer, expected to smile fabulously—which she did, of course—but she was aching to talk to Hyde more than anything. She should have been enjoying this more, but his words squatted like a toad in her mind.

A while later, the photographer looked around. "OK, now, I need just the maid of honor and best man, please."

 _Yes!_

Jackie ran over to the bench she was directed to stand in front of, and Hyde met her there.

"OK, now…"

Hyde put his hand around to Jackie's hip and struck his same disinterested pose, casually reminding the photographer that he wasn't going to be the most cooperative best man ever. Next to him, Jackie clutched her bouquet and smiled like a loon.

"Yeah, okay," the photographer shrugged and got behind his camera. "Can we get at least a small smile from the groom?"

"What did you mean?" Jackie asked Hyde, holding her smile.

A picture was snapped, but they held their pose as directed.

"You tell me something first," Hyde whispered, keeping his eyes on the camera.

Jackie's smiled fell slightly. "What?"

"What were you and Colin talking about?"

"I already told you, Steven. You and I are fine. I wish you would stop acting jealous."

"Jackie, you just slept with him last week," Hyde reminded her calmly, his gaze steadily set on the camera, as was Jackie's. "I have a right to be jealous. I have a right to be pissed, too, but I'm not anymore, as long as I know it's over."

"Fine."

" _Okay, now I need the parents of the bride and groom…"_

Jackie and Hyde relaxed and faced each other.

Jackie glared at his stubborn expression. "I am not going to do this with you today, Steven. I have enough to deal with from Colin. I don't need it from you, too. You need to just trust me."

Hyde raised his eyebrows, apathetic to her words. They were not what he wanted to hear.

"Will you please just let me have today to figure out how to deal with this?" Jackie asked while her flirtatious fingers pinched at his stomach. "Please," she pouted.

Hyde thought it over. "Fine…But I don't have to like it."

"Fine," Jackie accepted and smiled in anticipation. "Now," she clapped. "What did you mean back in the church?"

Hyde grinned, taking a glance at Colin in the distance, as he stepped around her slowly and spoke into her ear. "I wouldn't want to interrupt your Colin time with what I was thinking."

"What?" Jackie growled angrily, her body shaking as it tensed. "Steven, get back here…Ugh!"

Her head turned slightly; she could swear she heard a light chuckle come from the direction he had gone. This was the most infuriating day ever and it was only half over.

* * *

 **Forty-Five Minutes Later**

 **2:45 PM**

 **Milwaukee, Wisconsin**

 **Lakeside-South Marriot Hotel**

"I'd kiss you and put my hand on your thigh…right up in here. Then I would reach inside to your panties, so I could feel them…right here. I'll bet they'd be warm and wet…right… _here_ …and if not, I'd _make_ them wet."

Jackie swallowed in her delirium. "H-h-how would you do that?" she exhaled and closed her eyes.

"With my mouth."

"God, Steven..." With a moan, her mouth met his in a feverish kiss.

"… _the best man and maid of honor: Steven Hyde and Jacqueline Burkhart…"_

"Damn it."

Quickly linking arms as Jackie wiggled her gown back down to the floor, Hyde and Jackie put on plastic smiles, each their own, and stepped out into the reception room, eyed by nearly two hundred people as they were forced to separate at the table reserved for the wedding party. Two empty seats sat between them.

"To be continued," Hyde muttered across the seats.

Jackie giggled.

"… _and finally,"_ the wedding coordinator gestured from the DJ's booth for everyone to stand, _"may I introduce to you the groom and bride, Michael and Brooke Kelso, and their two children, Betsy and Bradley."_

"Whoo!" Jackie screamed loudly and clapped as the family of four emerged into their reception, all smiles. She had to laugh back at Hyde when she heard him mockingly scream out a fettered 'whoo', too.

Brooke and Kelso handed the kids over to their parents and sat down between Jackie and Hyde.

"Thanks, man," Kelso mumbled privately to his best man as he scooted in. "For threatening to kick my ass."

Hyde nodded. "It was my pleasure."

"I wasn't going to leave her there, you know. I was just…scared," Kelso said, obviously disappointed in himself.

"I know, man," Hyde assured him as he scanned the crowd, keeping some distance from the heart to heart. "I get it."

"Would you have really stopped being my friend?" Kelso asked.

"Nah. I'd have probably just kicked your ass…You know, the usual."

Pleased, Kelso nodded, taking his opportunity as Hyde looked over. "It's not so scary, you know…Hyde. It actually feels pretty good, knowing she's yours, and no one else's, forever."

Hyde pinched his lips together in a downward grin and looked away again, furtively and selfishly delighted that Kelso, once one of Colin's main supporters, seemed to finally be on his side on this one.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

The DJ Brooke hired flipped a record and placed it down smoothly, setting the spindle to "I Love You" by Climax Blues Band…

 _When I was younger man, I hadn't a care  
Foolin' around, hitting the town, growing my hair  
You came along and stole my heart when you entered my life  
Ooh, babe, you got what it takes so I made you my wife…_

After the first toast had been made by Kelso's father, Hyde found himself at the edge of the dance floor, standing beside Jackie, watching Kelso sway his new bride to their first dance, to the song he had chosen for them, his only task.

Hyde heard a sniffle and looked over at Jackie with a curious frown. "Are you crying?"

"No," she lied and dabbed at her eyes.

Together, they watched the way Kelso stared at his new wife, the way he moved her, so gently, to the music. She was precious in his arms. It was apparent.

Hyde heard another sniffle and quietly laughed. "Come on, Weepy." He offered his hand to Jackie. As Best Man and Maid-of-Honor, it was their turn. "Dance with me."

Entering the near empty dance floor was intimidating. All eyes were on them, many shaped in a whimsical manner that unsettled Hyde, but he held his focus on Jackie and comfortably pulled her toward him, his mind toiling with the silent hope that Colin was witnessing their every move. Hyde wasn't proud enough to admit it out loud, but he couldn't escape the desire to shove it in Colin's face, to claim Jackie as his own for everyone to see.

She was _his_ first in love, after all. That had to count for something.

He forgot his worries, though, when Jackie smiled happily and began to sway beneath his lead. This moment was heaven to her. That was apparent, too.

Jackie rested her head on his shoulders. "I love you so much, Steven," she whispered to him. "And if I have to give this up for you, I will."

At a loss for words, Hyde pulled her into a hug and continued their dance, grateful for the other bodies that joined on the floor, allowing them to blend in and disappear. She would trade this for him, she said, this event that she had constantly claimed to want for herself, as well as the particular life—her dream life—that followed. That was a good thing, right? That was what he'd wanted. So then had he won? Should he celebrate? He didn't know.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

Just before the cutting of the cake, Hyde stood up and raised his champagne flute. "Uh…I was told that I'm supposed to make a toast, a Best Man thing or something." Hyde sighed. "I don't really have a lot to say—surprise—but," He looked down at Kelso and Brooke. "You were right, Kelso. She's too good for you." Everyone made a face, unsure if they should frown or smile. "But the thing is, she's too good for everyone. That's what you have to understand, man." Hyde smirked. "It doesn't mean you don't deserve her. You're a good guy, Kelso."

"Thanks, man."

Brooke laughed. "Yes, thank you, Hyde."

"Uh…To Brooke and Kelso!"

And so, the time ticked by, the meter fast approaching red. A minute became several as the part continued. Hyde couldn't help but notice when Jackie left her seat with her champagne and a small plate of food, never to return. The room was dark, but not too dark to distinguish a face, especially one like hers. He scanned the room, and it wasn't until the crowd parted that he found her, talking with her ex-fiancé.

Christie was briefly part of their conversation, but Hyde found little comfort in that fact.

They looked happy, normal, as if October had tumbled straight into December, having skipped over November completely, having skipped _them_. And what was that month anyway, but a few lazy, rainy weeks of sex and shallow promises? Though _his_ eyes had been opened, Hyde wondered if hers had ever been.

Was she as affected as he was? Was she as in love? Because if he thought about it, most of his love for her was of the old variety, simply crashing back upon him, the new, spurned by fresh hope.

As Jackie and Colin chatted in private for over an hour, dinner passed, toasts were made—Jackie's from her seat between Colin and Christie—and the cake was cut. Through it all, Hyde sat alone, minus his ten minutes with Fez and Amy, who both tried to keep him preoccupied, but failed, and his beer with Red, in which he was told to man up and propose.

The truth was he was wallowing, feeling unwanted and abandoned. Like a chump. Worse, he felt unloved, which was even more foolish, because he knew she loved him; it just _felt_ like she didn't. Didn't she want to hang out with him _at all?_ They had been having a good time, he thought. He'd made her laugh and smile and shudder with arousal. Was it all that bad? Or was Colin just that fucking good? Was he actually talking her back toward himself? Reminding her that she could do better? Was he offering every shiny thing that they both knew Jackie would follow?

Hyde rubbed his fingers to his eyes. Maybe he was over-thinking it, but it didn't change the fact that he was becoming paranoid and angry or the fact that he missed her company. He was lonely without her, at least until he felt her lips on the back of his neck and felt her arms slide over his shoulders and down his chest.

"Thank you," was all she whispered, leaving kisses all over his ears and neck.

Hyde sighed. "You're welcome…"

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

The Front Lawn of the Lakeside-South Marriot Hotel

Peering through the light drizzle, Hyde narrowed his eyes and nodded, his lips pursed in annoyance. "Fine. You want to do this? Let's go."

Eric began to panic and stepped toward Hyde. "Wait, what are you doing, man?"

Colin shrugged. "Let's go, then." He pulled off his suit jacket and tossed it at Fez. "Hold this." Fez hooked it over his arm immediately, his eyes wide and waiting.

In response, Hyde slipped off his tuxedo jacket and bowtie and held them out to Kelso. "Hold this."

"I don't want to."

"Hold it!" Hyde ordered.

"Fine!" Kelso roared, snatching the coat and tie from his friend. "But if Brooke comes out here, I'm dead." Then, he turned to Eric and pulled his wallet out. "Put me down for ten on Colin."

"What!" Hyde wailed indignantly. "You don't think I can kick _his_ ass?"

Kelso looked around nervously at everyone and leaned toward Hyde to whisper. "Well, yeah, but, the other day…"

"I let him do that on _purpose_ , Kelso," Hyde growled.

"I know! But…"

"All those times I kicked your ass, man?!" Hyde's jaw set into a stiff clench. "Should I remind you right now?"

Kelso pondered. "Alright, fine. I'll put ten on Colin and ten on Hyde," he wagered again to Eric. "There. You happy now? God."

Hyde shook his head, incredulous.

"Me, too." Fez handed Eric a pair of twin bills. "Ten on both."

As the money exchanged hands, Eric frowned. "You guys _are_ aware of how betting works, right?"

"You going to fight back this time?" Colin asked Hyde, appearing pleased as he pulled up his sleeves.

"Yeah, I'm going to kick your ass this time, too."

"What are you guys doing?!"

"Crap. It's Donna," Kelso shouted, instantly ruining all chance of deceit. "Put the cash away, Eric!"

"What's going on," she asked again, searching the motionless, guilt-ridden faces around her for an answer. "Hello!"

Neither Colin nor Hyde flinched, though, and the redhead's sudden presence. They only continued to glare at each other, still as statues until Hyde punched Colin in the mouth, forcing him backwards a few feet.

"Augh, Hyde!" Fez groaned. "You couldn't wait?"

"No."

"Hyde! What the hell is going on?!" Her eyes wide, Donna looked at Eric, her scolding tone growing more volatile by the syllable. "This is what you guys are doing out here? Fighting?! This is Brooke's wedding day! Can't you put this crap aside until tomorrow?" She turned her attention to Colin, calmer. "Colin, are you okay?"

Frowning, Colin looked at his bloodied fingers as they left his lips. "You hit like a girl."

"Colin!" Donna scolded him. "You idiot! You're not helping!"

Hyde punched him again, harder this time.

Donna tossed her hand in the air in defeat as Colin stumbled back, wincing at the pain in his mouth. "That's it," she threatened smartly. "I'm telling Jackie."

"No!" every male voice yelled out, including both Colin and Hyde.

"She'll be pissed," Hyde blurted as Colin's fist struck his face, breaking his entire train of thought. He wandered away, shaking off the pain. "Crap."

"What the hell," Colin shook his hand, still sore from two days before. "Your face is like stone."

"Probably 'cause he's been 'stoned' so many times," Fez snickered and waved everyone off.

Hyde returned, his breathing heavy. "You need a second?"

Colin nodded, his expression just as pained. "Thanks."

"What's going on?" Jackie's voice rang out like the round bell. "What are you guys all doing out here," she asked suspiciously, hotly aware that Colin and Hyde were facing each other in the center of a jagged circle of her friends.

Hyde glanced at Colin, catching the Irishman's wary look, and then returned to Jackie. "We're uh…We're just,"—he grinned and shook his head—"hanging out. Having fun. It's…" He glanced at Colin again.

"Just hanging out, baby," Colin threw in. "Fun."

Ignoring the pet name, Hyde nodded. "Hanging out. Having fun. Right, gang?"

"Having fun."

"Hanging out."

"You guys are hanging out," Jackie repeated, sounding unconvinced.

"Having fun, too."

All the men nodded as Jackie grimaced at them and then turned to Donna. "Donna?"

Rolling her eyes, Donna shrugged.

"You guys aren't fighting again, are you?" Jackie asked Colin and Hyde.

"Us?" Hyde scoffed. "No way."

Colin shook his head. "We're just having…"

"Yeah, having fun and hanging out. I heard." Jackie looked around warily. "Well, as long as you both aren't fighting. I don't think I could handle that today. Come on, Donna. Brooke needs us for the bouquet throw."

Jackie dragged Donna away and, when they disappeared back into the building, Hyde stepped back. "Damn, that was close."

Colin sighed. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Hesitantly, Hyde agreed and stepped aside with his enemy.

"Look," Colin began. "I think you know why I'm still here. I'm not just going to let you have her," he said sourly. "All I'm saying is, I'm willing to give her things you're not. She wants all this stuff. And the only reason she's not taking it is because of some promise she made to you this morning."

"She said that," Hyde asked flatly.

"Not specifically, but she keeps saying, "I promised him," Colin admitted. "Look. If you really give a shit about her at all, you'll let her have the choice. If it's still you, then fine…" Colin let out a breath, and it was then that Hyde saw that Colin was just as deep in love with her as he was. "I'll…" He shrugged. "…walk away."

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

Standing behind his dark booth, a disco ball spinning above everyone's heads, the DJ that Brooke hired set a Jefferson Starship record on the turntable.

 _Go now  
Don't look back, we've drawn the line  
Move on  
It's no good to go back in time_

Enough was enough.

Hyde glowered ahead angrily, sick of the way he was feeling, sick of watching her and wanting, feeling like he couldn't have her, but he couldn't leave, couldn't give up. There were a billion chicks in this world, and it was this one that his heart demanded he have, and this, the only chick, that he was going to have to fight to get—probably in vain.

 _I'll never find another girl like you  
For happy endings it takes two  
We're fire and ice  
Our dream won't come true…_

Why did he agree to be patient today? It was not a virtue he excelled at.

Hyde gave up and looked her way again. She was across the large room, laughing pleasantly and flipping her hair at captivated wedding guests. The darkness only made her shine against the others more. Lights sparkled between her dark tresses as she leaned down and spoke to Kelso's mother, her smiling face beautiful—limbs lithe as she walked away, as if she was submerged in liquid and not the buoyant air that everyone else enjoyed.

Why did she have to be so freaking beautiful?

Hyde had to admit, he was beyond captivated, living every minute with the memories of what it felt like to be pressed against every inch what he found to be perfection, to be warmed by those limbs and loved by her tireless declarations. Even the memory of her soft whispers made his eyes close here, so far away from the intimacy itself.

When Hyde re-opened his eyes, he shook his head, his bitter scowl cutting deeper into the skin between his eyes. He hated that he was beginning to feel like he couldn't live without that feeling, like food or water or oxygen, that warm feeling of her, of connecting with her, was becoming relevant to his survival. To irritate her, or make her laugh, to yell or kiss, made him full, and it was always why her extensive absence was timed perfectly with his mental death, leaving a vacancy for the inner monster to rule and then rip to pieces the lovely source of his pain.

Or was that just him, he wondered? A monster down deep. An unfeeling bastard, deserving of no better than a brainless Las Vegas stripper, and not the sexy woman who both mesmerized and horrified the crowd in front of him.

He was trash.

 _"You're Bud."_

His eyes growing wide with horror, Hyde looked behind himself at the source of those acid words. "What?"

"Your Bud," the bartender repeated, holding out the tapped Budweiser Hyde had requested.

"Oh." Hyde grabbed it warily, still eying the man, waiting for him to slap him with the truth again. "Thanks."

He dropped a tip and took a cautious swig, tensing as he turned back around and witnessed Colin slip his arms around Jackie from behind, interrupting her activities as he spoke into her ear with a solemn expression. She seemed to stiffen when she realized who had her but still responded to his whispers.

An electric current of adrenaline surged ruthlessly into Hyde's heart, his eyes watching Jackie's every move, analyzing the position of her fingers as they touched Colin's hands… his forearms. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either, not in anger anyway.

Hyde seared with jealousy. That warm feeling was not his alone. Colin's face told it all.

"You're going to just stare at them all night?" Donna asked, taking a seat beside him.

Immediately, Hyde turned himself around to face the bar, unable, but trying, to clear his face of all expression.

"You know, the day's almost over, Hyde."

Hyde guzzled his beer and slapped the empty cup on the bar. "Yeah. I think I'm going to head home soon. No way I'm going to watch this crap all night."

"So, what, you're just giving up?"

"I guess."

Donna scoffed. "You set yourself up _every_ time."

"What?"

"You know, don't you dare get mad when she goes home with him tonight."

"What?" He was curter this time, pissed as he spun to face her. "Are you _trying_ to piss me off?"

"Yes!" Donna replied sharply. "I am actually. Be _something_ , Hyde. You can't just let him have her like that without a fight."

"Why not?"

"Because you _love_ her."

The statement came out as more of a notification than a reminder, as if he had not already known this, and Hyde blinked at her, wondering when he had become so obvious. Donna was usually blind as a bat when it came to him and Jackie. All the while, though, twisted thoughts burned at his back.

What were they doing?

Hyde turned around to see what Donna was looking at, his glower worsening. Jackie and Colin were facing each other now—too close for his own comfort.

"You want the truth, Donna?" Hyde murmured, never taking his eyes of them.

"Sure."

Before he could part his lips to speak, though, Hyde saw Jackie's hand touch Colin's stomach and pet downwards. She was straightening his shirt, caring for and grooming him as he smiled and leaned closer to her. Jackie returned the smile, and the pain that raked through Hyde's chest began to bloom. He was losing her again; it was happening in front of his eyes, and the knot in his throat, the twenty-year-old wall that blocked all words from escaping his mouth would not allow him to protest. It never failed. _He_ _never_ failed to fail.

"Hyde," Donna's voice cut into his thoughts.

Beside him, she rolled her eyes at herself, so used to teasing him, so used to assuming he was hard as stone. But he wasn't. He was just extremely talented at pretending he was.

Donna had to sigh for her paralyzed friend. "You know... It's _okay_ to love her. It doesn't make you weak. And we all already know anyway. If you want the truth, we've always made fun of you more because you deny it."

Hyde grimaced. "Who's denying it?" he bit tersely, snapping his head toward her. "I'm in love with Jackie."

"Oh." Donna's face turned blank with astonishment. "Well... good then," she uttered and turned forward, frowning to herself. "A Budweiser, please." The bartender nodded. "So, then what are you going to do about it?" she asked Hyde.

"Drink my beer."

"Oh, yeah. Great plan. 'Cause that did wonders for you the last time."

"Look," Hyde turned sideways toward her again, watching as she gulped down her beer. "How can I compete with that guy? He's better than me in every conceivable way. The last time I checked, he's never been to Vegas, and he looks like one of those underwear guys in her stupid magazines!"

Brooke sauntered up to the bar, appearing slightly toasted. "Can I get another whiskey sour?" She smiled at Donna and Hyde. "Hey! What are we talking about?"

"Colin in his underwear," Donna blurted out.

"Ooooh!" Brooke cooed.

"Pft. See!" Hyde moved to get up.

"Sit down!" Donna grabbed him, laughing as she forced him back into his seat. "Can he get another beer, please?" she nodded to the bartender, who placed one down immediately. "Drink," she ordered Hyde.

"What's the matter with Hyde," Brooke giggled, pinching his cheeks and making him grimace. "You're always so mad."

"You're drunk," he sneered at the bride.

"No," she corrected, tapping his nose. "I'm the bride. I'm tipsy. It's prettier. So, where's my Maid-of-Honor?"

Hyde tipped his head. "Over there with Don Juan el Lucky Charms."

"Oh," Brooke turned to see Colin and Jackie across the room, still locked in their rather intimate looking discussion. "Oh…" her tone darkened. "That's why you're so grumpy."

"Oh, he's always grumpy," Kitty threw in to everyone's surprise, and grabbed her Bloody Mary off the bar before walking over. "He's my little Broody McBroodster!" She pinched his cheeks, too, laughing along with Brooke as Donna smiled at Hyde's pissy expression.

He rolled his eyes. "Lucky me. Two hundred people here, and I'm stuck with the drunk chicks. And not the good kind either."

"Hey!" Brooke pointed, immediately switching thoughts. "Why are you letting him win? And I think you're very good looking, Hyde. You're just as cute as Colin."

"He thinks Colin is better for her than him," Donna announced, obviously seeking assistance. Probably so they could gang up on him again, Hyde figured.

Brooke shrugged. "Well Colin _is_ better for her."

"Brooke!"

"What?! As far as Jackie's well-being is concerned, yes, Colin is _probably_ the better choice for her—no offense, Hyde—but Colin is not who she wants."

Sucking down her drink, Kitty shook her head, her eyes glazing with further drunkenness as she spoke. "Jackie has been in love with my Steven since he was a small boy. Oh, you should have seen her, chasing him around like a little yapping puppy dog,"—Kitty giggled—"yap, yap, yap, yap, yap! And he would fight and fight, insisting he hated her, but everyone could see that he was always tickled by Jackie."

" _I_ couldn't," Donna admitted. "I was shocked when they got together. It just all seemed so unnatural, you know."

"Well, that's because you're not very observant, dear." Kitty waved Donna off. "Half the time you had your head right up your own butt."

Hyde grimaced. "Tickled?"

Kitty ignored him. "See. Steven's a little slower than most when it comes to his feelings toward women," she explained to Brooke. "I blame his mother."

"Me, too," Fez agreed, slipping between Hyde and Kitty to grab his Pina Colada. "Edna was one cold-hearted bitch."

Eric walked up with Kelso trailing close behind. "Why is everyone over here?"

Hyde drew in an annoyed breath. "Christ." Too many people. He tried to get up again, but Donna used her abnormally-mannish strength on him.

"Hyde," she started again as the others, besides Eric, became distracted by the bride and groom. "Let me tell you something you might not know…"

Eric and Hyde both listened.

"You know how Jackie used to always nag you about stuff, constantly droning on about weddings and weather teams to the point where you actually considered using Shotzie's muzzle on her?"

Hyde raised his eyebrow at the memory, a slight smile lifting his cheeks.

"She doesn't do that anymore. I mean, she nagged Colin a little about marriage, but nothing like you got. No weather teams or morning talk shows or plans of becoming the next Sonny and Cher." Donna rolled her eyes with a smile. "You always used to get so mad at her. Sometimes you didn't, but I wonder if you ever really understood where it was all coming from."

"She's crazy," Hyde sneered. "That's where it all came from."

Eric shook his head as Donna continued. "Yes, she is, but that's not why. All she wanted, Hyde, was to be with you. It wasn't about her irrational love of weather teams and ice capades. She was just searching for something that would tie you to her, anything she could find. Granted, she was searching in the _wrong_ places, but she was trying. I think she just wanted you to love her."

Hyde took a deep breath and raised his head to Jackie, frowning after her in thought. He shook his head. "I don't know."

Eric sighed. "Man, all you can do is let her know how you feel. When Donna was with Casey—who, may I add, showed up to the wedding fat and with a tuxedo shirt on,"—He smiled triumphantly—"I just had to step back and hope that she would find her way back to me."

"And when he was being a jerk," Donna added. "—as he usual was at the time—it only pushed me away."

"He's going to try and kiss her," Fez cut in surreptitiously, squeezing himself in between Hyde and Donna.

"What?" Hyde perked up and looked at Jackie as Fez pointed at them. Everyone watched intently.

"You see how Colin just tipped his head," Fez continued, receiving several nods. "Ooh. Uh-oh. Now he's looking at her lips…"

"Crap!" Hyde shot up from his seat and disappeared into the crowd.

Donna grimaced. "Yikes. Do you think he listened to anything we said?"

Eric shook his head and caught the bartender's attention with a wave. "Nope…"

Hyde slipped up to Jackie and Colin. "Hey."

Jackie beamed. "Steven!"

Colin smiled to himself and looked down, fully aware that Hyde's sudden arrival was not coincidental.

"Can we talk for a second?" Hyde asked Jackie, animating his face to ensure she followed without question.

"Yeah, sure." She looked at Colin. "I'll be back. Okay? Don't move."

"Don't worry about it," Colin offered apathetically. "I think I'm just going to go."

Hyde huffed and turned his head away. There was no competing with this fucking guy. He knew all the right Jackie moves, as he should.

Frantically, Jackie shook her head. "No!" Her eyes were pained and locked on Colin. "Stay. Please. I'll be right back."

Hyde rolled his eyes. Score another one for Colin. His jaw pressed his teeth like a vice as Jackie grabbed his hand and led him away. Hyde couldn't help but leave with a triumphant, wicked grin, though, aimed at Colin, and the view of him slipping his arm around Jackie's waist as they walked off together.

Score one for Hyde.

"You need to stop that," Jackie muttered as she pulled him around the corner near the restrooms.

"He's been doing it to _me_ all freakin' night, Jackie."

"Steven, grow up. Both of you need to." Jackie spun around to face him and set her back against a wall. "Now what? What was so important?"

Crap. Now he felt stupid as she stared at him expectantly. Her eyebrows flew up, her hands flew out, and he had no idea what he was going to say. He hadn't thought much past getting her away from him, and then it struck. Plain as day. Years and years of what he thought he knew spinning down the drain.

He couldn't watch her forever, no more than he could keep her away from him. If it was what she wanted, it was what she would get. He had to at least know that much by now. His shoulders fell, sinking with the absolution that he was helpless.

"Steven."

"I…" So, what did this mean? He was going to have to beg? Fall to his knees and grovel like a chump? Like, Fez? Plant some calculated proposal on his lips and watch her take the bait like a hungry carp?

Would it even matter?

This was not the Jackie he'd left behind in 1979. The one who was willing to give up everything for him. This was the one who didn't need his promises anymore, because someone else, someone better, was willing to give them. Hyde knew he could never again make her feel for him what she had felt all those years before, nor could he take back the pain he had inflicted, and so he didn't know what to do. But something inside him refused to bait her with marriage in order to keep her. He just had to hope that whatever it was they had left was enough. "I just wanted to let you know something."

"What, Steven?"

He hesitated, though, for a brief moment, and watched her smile. Her hands skimmed his stomach and moved around to his back. Then she rose on her tiptoes and made their noses touch, bringing them into their bubble, where the breath between them was the only air they breathed.

"Come on, baby," she cooed. "What?"

Hyde relaxed. "You're off the hook."

"What?" Jackie lowered herself slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"You can pick whoever you want."

"Steven."

"Just let me talk, please. For once. Don't interrupt me."

She was quiet.

"You're off the hook," he repeated, bringing his cheek around to nuzzle hers, speaking in her ear. "You can choose him, and I won't be mad. I won't treat you like crap like I did before. I promise. I'm hoping you choose me." Hyde hugged her tighter. "I won't hurt you. And I will _never_ leave you again, not unless you want me to. I just you to be happy."

"Steven," Jackie let out, but was muted by his soft lips as they suddenly kissed hers. It was slow at first and grew in intensity, heated by friction. Ripples of pleasure weakened her strength, and her body gave in, pushing deeper against his for more. Then he pulled away, leaving her debilitated as he kissed her forehead and then walked away.

Her breathing still labored, Jackie fell against the wall and closed her eyes…

* * *

Hyde moved quickly past Eric and Donna and out the main doors into the lobby, where he stopped to pace.

"Fuck!"

"Hyde." Eric and Donna walked up, confused as they watched him pace left and then right. "What happened?"

"Shit. _Why_ the hell did I just do that?"

Donna frowned. "What'd you say?"

"I listened to your crappy advice!" Hyde accused Eric pointedly. "I told her to pick whoever's going to make her happy, that I won't be mad. God, damn it. Why did I do that?"

"Hyde," Donna rebuked in her boyfriend's defense. "It's not his fault. You did it because you care about her. It's a good thing. She'll choose you. Relax."

Hyde pointed at Eric. "If she picks him, I'm kicking your ass." He sat down and dropped his head into his hands. "Shit…"

* * *

The quiet DJ, perched in his booth, set up the next song, calling for slow dancers into the microphone.

 _I sometimes wonder why  
All the flowers had to die  
I dream about you  
And now, summer's come and gone..._

"Will you dance with me?"

Surrounded by the balmy darkness of the dance floor, Jackie nodded cautiously at Colin. His face was tired, sad, and it was a familiar song, danced to once in a Manhattan park on a warm summer night. Tears burned the surface of her eyes. He looked so handsome today, just like on that night, and everything, every movement he made, felt so final, like something she needed to remember, because when it passed, it would truly be gone forever.

Colin took her hand and, grabbing her waist gently, pulled her close.

They began to dance.

"You look so handsome today, Colin." Several tears fell easily. There was no more use in trying to stop them.

Colin leaned down, placing his lips near her ear. Jackie waited for the customary response. "We can get through this, Jackie," he murmured instead, making it clear that he had not yet given up on her. "I can forgive you. But I can't lose you. Not like _this_. This can't be how we end."

The sway of their bodies, smooth to the music, and the close proximity of their mouths, mixed with the heady awareness that they could no longer touch, seemed to bring forth the breath in Colin, and he laid a warm, wet series of kisses on her neck.

Jackie closed my eyes. "Colin, please don't do this."

"Do you love me?" he whispered.

Dejectedly, she nodded. "Yes, but..."

She watched his hand dip into his inside jacket pocket and retrieve her favorite velvet box. His eyes held little hope, but they shined with a sad sort of love, warm and inviting. Jackie was frozen, unaware that they had stopped dancing as he placed her engagement ring back on her shaking finger.

He stared at it. "I'm moving to New York," he said as she stared at the ring. "There are a lot of jobs out there for me." He looked up. "I want you to come with me, Jackie." Hope returned to his face inside the color of his dancing eyes. "As my wife. Please."

"What? You're moving?" Jackie asked tearfully, the thought of him leaving striking her hard in the throat. "Why?"

"I don't want to be here anymore." He shook his head. "But I love _you_ …Will you come with me? We can forget about all this shit, get an apartment by the park, eat take-out until we get settled. You'll just have to give me time, but I know we can make it out there together. I just need to know that you're done with him, that there's a thousand miles between him and us."

Jackie shook her head inexplicably, her eyes clouded with tears. It was the only movement her body could make as he continued, turning toward her ear again to whisper.

"I'll never hurt you, Jackie. Never."

Jackie closed her eyes again. "I know," she bawled, burying her face into his chest as he hugged her tightly and kissed her head. "I know."

He let go, though, much too quickly, and stepped back with pleading eyes. "Come over."

"What?"

"My place. I know you have things to do here, but…" He palms warmed her wet cheeks. "Will you come over when the reception's over? Just to talk, that's all. You don't have to make any decisions tonight." Hastily, he kissed her cheek, catching the corner of her mouth. "God, you're so beautiful. I'll see you."

And he was gone, with not another word said. All that remained of him was the warm ring of gold on her finger. It burned with promise.

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

Ron, the DJ, danced in place as he announced that he would, once again, "slow down the tempo" and slipped on the new Prince album, playing Purple Rain…

 _I never meant to cause you any sorrow  
I never meant to cause you any pain …_

Alone, Hyde sat, staring at the floor.

He wasn't aware of it, but the look on his face was bleak. He should have known. He couldn't stop staring at the lights that swirled around the faux marble floor in front of him. He couldn't wake, either—no matter what stimulus greeted him—from his slated trance. Likewise, he didn't want to. The reverie was so heavy on his shoulders, its thick cloud weighing so grave on his mind, that complete consciousness would have required something that he had little left to spare: will.

He had tried, hadn't he?

It just all happened so fast. From some random moment in time, it took him two hours to realize she was still in his head. Six hours for his body to release back into her custody. Nine days for his defiant mind to follow. Eighteen for his heart to admit its stubborn hold on her. Twenty-one to drop to his knees in defeat.

And now here he was, a slave to her impulsive whim, the last place he ever wanted to be.

But he'd done all he could—other than dangle marriage in front of her. Hyde sat back in his seat and sighed. The painful truth being that, even with everything in his limited arsenal, it was possible that he was just too late.

"Hey."

Hyde looked up and feigned a smile. "Hey."

Her expression serious, Jackie sat down on his lap. "We need to talk." The look in her eyes told him her news was grim…and very final.

"About what?" Hyde suddenly felt sick.

At that, she turned down her eyes. Hyde watched her eyebrows crease in small spasms as she deliberated and mused over what was to be, he assumed, his "thoughtful" rejection. He waited, though, and as he did, he noticed something sparkle from her finger.

He wasn't angry, though. This was more severe than anger. Anger had dissipated long ago, as it required too much energy.

No. This was emptiness, the blackest of all emotions. This was inadequacy and its sudden vindication over his life. This was his end, and so depression washed over and engulfed him in accordance. The meter had stopped. He'd run out of time, and now he was drowning, sinking deeper into himself, a failure.

"You have to remember, Steven…" Her soft voice cracked. "Before you came back into my life, I had plans. I wanted so much to get married and have kids. First with you, and then with him. I…He became my world. Can you understand that?"

Hyde didn't answer. He could understand. He just couldn't speak. He couldn't move. His eyes simply returned to the lights on that marble floor as she continued.

"Steven? Please just understand… Please?" She was tearful now. Sad. Pleading with him to let her go, or something like that.

Could he?

Hyde nodded. Of course, he could. He would do anything for her. It was a stomach-turning sentiment to admit to, even privately.

"He wants to marry me still," she mused, baffled by the idea. Her left hand slipped between them to show him, again, the shining two carat diamond that had defeated him. "I don't understand it, Steven. How could he want me still, after what I did?"

Hyde huffed then. He knew the last question well. But he couldn't stand it anymore.

Jackie's eyed widened at the sudden fury on his face. "No!" She shook her head frantically, panicked. "No. Steven. I'm going to give it back."

Desperation kicked in, and anger poured back into his mouth and eyes and ears. "Then give it back, Jackie." He removed her body from his and stood, bringing his fingers to his eyes.

"Well…I…" She was stammering as she stood up, too. "I can't, Steven. He went home. He wants me to go talk to him in private."

Hyde lowered his hand. " _More_ talking?"

But her mind was elsewhere as he seethed in place, her pensive eyes on his marble floor. "He told me he still loves me. Who does that after what happened? He wants me to move to New York with him. He says he can forgive me."

Hyde watched her closely. She was genuinely bewildered. But he also saw the intrigue swirling in her eyes. Her dream was still within reach.

Hyde sighed. A symphony of random curse words bombarded his head, his body wanting to fight as he tried to detach myself from her. Instead, he swallowed and then relaxed.

He'd lost the fight. And he'd promise to take it like a man, to not be angry. "You remember last Christmas, when we all went to that ice-skating rink?" he asked her, never looking up.

Jackie frowned at the floor. "Yes."

"I spent the whole night watching you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Hyde saw her look up, but he kept his head down as he continued. He narrowed his eyes, and frowned at the lights as they circled around him, the music muffling in his head as he called back that cold night. "You were wearing all white." One glance at her, and his throat would close up. "I couldn't stop looking at you, Jackie. All I kept thinking was that I couldn't believe how beautiful you look in white."

Her hand rising to her mouth, Jackie began to sob. He wasn't sure why.

"I was so jealous of him." Hyde grimaced, remembering. "He hadn't screwed up with you. He wasn't a stupid kid, trying to act like he didn't care, when he met you. He was smart about it and deserved you more than I ever did. I was jealous. I'm _still_ jealous." Hyde finally allowed himself a look at her, remembering how she smiled as she spun and spun over the ice and how she laughed at the sky when Colin pulled her down to its surface. "I never made you that happy."

"Yes, you did. You tried."

"Not enough obviously." He could admit that much. "I didn't try enough."

Jackie looked down. "Did I make _you_ happy, Steven?"

Hyde laughed silently then, a little enamored by her ridiculous question. She was cute when she was attempting humility. "Yeah," he reassured her. "Every day."

A sob threatening to erupt, Jackie looked up. "I'll be right back, Steven," she tried to assure him. The inflection in her voice, though, sounded skeptical to him. She didn't entirely believe what she was saying. "I need to talk to him. I owe him that much, don't you think?"

She looked into his blue eyes. They were raw, and infinite, and why he frequently wore his sunglasses. He always claimed it was to hide his bloodshot eyes or the bright Wisconsin sun—a humorous lie—but she always knew. They shielded _him_ from the world, not the other way around.

Jackie blinked a few tears away and touched his cheek. "I don't regret you if that's what you're thinking. I don't regret Halloween or the last month or even last night. Any of it. I'm glad it all happened. I wouldn't change it, Steven, but you have to let me go." She shook her head and looked around herself, busy in thought before she returned her eyes to him. "I'm going regardless. I owe him that."

Jackie stared at him, trying to gauge his reaction, but got nothing. So, she turned around to leave.

"Wait." Hyde grabbed her arm. His chest shook. "Stay with me. Please." He could hear the pathetic desperation in his voice, and his breath catch somewhere within his next, unprepared breath. It made him cringe. But his eyes groveled anyway, pleaded with her. "I love you, Jackie."

"Oh, Steven…" Her hands touched his cheeks. "I know you do." Her eyes studied him, locking this newest face into memory. "That's why I'll be back," she whispered and kissed his lips as a thick teardrop rolled slowly down her cheek and then dangled from her jaw before falling away, and Hyde knew, right then, that she wasn't coming back.

Hyde stared at her as she pulled away. He watched her smile—that truly happy smile he remembered from Christmas.

So, he let her arm go. That smile suited her. He only wished he could claim it as his own.

Deflated, he stepped back, unable to wipe the dismay from his face as he swallowed, dangerously close to grabbing her and forcing her to stay.

Jackie stepped back, too. A thankful, and amorous, smile cut through her gaze on him before she finally turned and ran away.

Hyde returned to his marble floor in shock. He breathed. In and out. Softly. Evenly.

Frozen.

"Where's Jackie going?" he heard Eric step up next to him.

"To Colin's," Hyde somehow managed.

"When's she coming back? Kelso and Brooke are leaving, and Christie wants everyone outside to see her present to them. She said she called in some favor from an old friend. I hear it's pretty cool."

"She's not."

"What?"

Frowning, Hyde turned his head toward his best friend, avoiding his eyes. "How was I supposed to know?" he asked casually.

His frown deepening, he stared back at the double doors that were slowly closing behind Jackie.

"I was just a kid. How was I supposed to know that… _she_ was it?" He grimaced. "That it wasn't going to get any better than her? She was out of her mind half the time. She was constantly nagging me about this or that, always following me around…" _Steven_ "... making me nuts." Hyde paused, a breath releasing as he gave up his tirade. He had loved her regardless. Maybe it was even _why_ he loved her—she had given a damn.

Eric's body withered as he put together what had Hyde nearly catatonic. "Man, Hyde, I'm sorry." He put his hand on Hyde's shoulder. "You tried. That was all you could do. You and Jackie were screwed from the start. We tried to tell you that. It was just too much to fix, man. At least Colin's not a bad guy."

Hyde nodded slowly, sure that he had tried, maybe not at the level of a Colin or a Forman or even a Kelso, but for him, Hyde, he had really tried to hold onto her. Jackie walked away knowing that he loved her and that he wanted her to stay with him, to be his. That was his only victory. And it was big. For them, anyway.

Eric put his arm around Hyde's shoulder. "Come on, man. Let's go get a drink and head outside. It's still a celebration..."

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

Jackie ran though the cold, her breath clouding in front of her as her cheeks flushed crimson. Her nose was near frozen.

"Watch out, dear. There's ice all over this parking lot. Don't fall."

Stopping, Jackie smiled and let out a massive, visible breath. The woman in front of her was bundled to the hilt, donned in a long red wool coat and hat to match. Not a single grey hair on her head looked out of place. "Oh. Thanks."

The kind-eyed woman looked Jackie from head to toe. "Well, don't you look pretty."

Jackie laughed, causing an echo. "Yeah. I just came from my best friend's wedding."

"Oh, well—"

A loud boom cut off their conversation, and both women looked up to the sky above Colin's apartment building, their faces lighting up as a bright white star-burst split across the sky.

"Oh!" Jackie exclaimed, wide-eyed.

The woman beside her smiled. "Well, I wonder what that's all about," she queried as another firework illuminated the night sky.

"I think… it's a gift," Jackie figured out loud, remembering Christie's hints throughout the long day.

"What a beautiful gift."

"Yeah," Jackie smiled. "Well, it was nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you, too, dear. Be careful."

"I will," Jackie giggled. "Bye." She sauntered off toward Colin's apartment, using a mindful gait across the icy blacktop, tranquil as another firework exploded in the distance. A beautiful gift, indeed…

* * *

At the deep end of the hotel's kitchen corridor, set uniformly between the seventh and twelfth candied wallpaper stripe, a white door creaked shut. Behind it, what remained of the basement gang folded their legs and sat down, forming a square. If someone had been listening from the outside, they might have heard the groaning, and the sighing, and the running hiss of Hyde straightening his legs out in front of him. But no one was listening.

His head heavy, Hyde reflexively slouched against the linen closet's side wall, his face numb with dejection, his clothing—even though formal today—more disheveled than usual.

"Here you go, man." Eric offered his disconsolate friend a lighter and let himself fall back against the door.

"Thanks." Staring at his feet and holding the lighter in one hand, Hyde reached into his jacket pocket with the other, his fingertips finding the smooth, thin paper of a joint, rolled in average width and twisted into a taut point at each end. He pulled it out and weaved it slowly between his four long fingers, watching as it danced its dance for him.

He quickly slipped one end between his lips.

Donna sighed. "Hyde, we're really sorry."

Hyde grimaced, his head giving a quick shake as he flicked at the lighter, triggering flame. "No, you're not," he responded in muffle, breathing in his long-awaited smoke. "Look. I don't want to talk about it. Okay?"

"I think you should," Fez disagreed. "You hold way too much in, Hyde." He closed his eyes. "Just let it out," he breathed. "It's okay."

Hyde rolled his eyes and passed the joint to Eric. "I don't hold anything in."

"Oh, come on," Eric smiled. "Of course, you hold stuff in. You're 'Hyde'," Eric waved his hands, amplifying the implied meaning behind the title. "That's _what_ you do."

"Can't you at least admit that you're sad?" Donna joined in.

"Of course, I'm sad," Hyde admitted brusquely. "My entire life went to hell in one month. I think I even beat Bud's summer of '67 record. Took him two months to lose his job, leave his wife and kid, and wind up in jail for petty larceny, bunking with a Samoan guy named Big Deuce."

Donna cocked her head at him. "Come on, Hyde. He did those things to himself."

"Yeah, but don't you see? I did mine to myself, too." Hyde stared at his feet again, covered in the annoying shine of black patent leather. He frowned. "I had a pretty good life, you know. I had a record store. A hot girlfriend. I was happy. And I just screwed it all up, just like that."

"Yeah, but Hyde, did you even love Jessica?" Donna asked him leadingly. "Obviously if you started an affair with…"

Hyde grimaced. "I'm not talking about Jessica," he said sneeringly. "I'm talking about Jackie. Until that..." He paused and blew out a slow, relaxing breath, and then another, before taking another hit off the joint that Eric passed him. "That night in Chicago." He cringed. "I should have stayed. Listened to her. I just took off. And then I just kept making it worse and worse so that I didn't have to deal with it anymore." He let out a short chuckle of disgust at himself. "It's no wonder she picked him."

Donna sat back, dumbfounded. "I just can't believe that she did." She, too, was now looking at her feet, decorated in patent leather, only white. "Jackie loves you. She always has." Shaking her head, she frowned at the memories that proved those words absolutely correct. "I mean, really, really loves you." Suddenly, she laughed. "We used to sit on Red's porch, and she would write 'Mrs. Jackie Hyde' over and over and over again in her notebook." Her smiled withered, though, as Hyde looked up at her, further pained as his shoulders dropped. Donna winced. "Sorry."

Hyde looked back down and scoffed. "I'm not stupid. I know what you guys are thinking. I should have proposed. It's all she ever wanted.'"

"No, Hyde. That's the thing," Donna mused. "It's not all she wanted. She just always wanted to be with you; I told you that."

Eric made a face. "Then why…I mean, I'm not going to lie. I don't get Jackie. It's like sticking sports equipment in front of me, I just don't get it, and I don't care to. But…" He looked at Donna. "Look at him. They were fine until Colin pulls the diamond back out, and then she just leaves? What the hell?"

"Hey," Hyde cut in, his hand raised slightly off his lap. "Leave Jackie alone, alright. If he's what she wants then what the hell can I do about it? It's my own fault."

"We really are sorry, Hyde." Fez handed him the joint again. "Here. It'll make you feel better."

And it did. The velvety smooth smoke rolled into his lungs with that flavor that he recognized and loved. The taste saturated his tongue and nose. The high flooded his mind in a slow-moving cloud of downy protection, coating over the sadness he was feeling as it called to him in heavy waves to just sleep and forget about her.

* * *

Twenty Minutes Later

The Wedding Reception

6 PM

Donna waved Hyde over. "Come on, Hyde!"

Hyde shook his head. "Nah. I'm cool," he responded with a forced smile and sat back in his seat. "You guys go ahead. Limbo your little hearts out."

Fez pouted. "But we can't leave Hyde alone. He looks really sad."

"I do?"

"Yes." Fez nodded. "Like a sad little puppy."

Hyde made a face. "Man, just go. I'm fine." He raised his eyebrows to convince his friend. "Really. Go."

After some hesitation, Fez sulked away onto the flashy dance floor, leaving Hyde to his thoughts.

But not for long.

A petite brunette walked up to his table and sat down two seats away from him. Hyde looked over at her curiously as she gave him a diffident smile. It took a moment, but he thought he recognized her. He had seen her at the wedding. In the audience, on Brooke's side. She was about twenty, maybe twenty-one.

"So, where's your girlfriend?" she suddenly asked, gaining confidence as she batted her lashes at him and smiled.

Hyde raised his eyebrow, sighing his fatigue.

Great. She was flirting.

"Um…I guess I don't have one…" He forced a grin for the sake of his new friend's feelings, but became distracted as Christie passed by. "Oh, hey!" He grabbed her hand. "Brooke asked me to give this to you." He pulled a large manila envelope off the table and handed it to her.

"What is it?" Christie asked.

"I don't know," he lied and returned to his original position. "Just open it."

Tearing the corner of her envelope, Christie peeked inside and frowned.

"Turn it upside down," Hyde called back to her without looking.

So, Christie, confused but curious, did as Hyde suggested and watched a pile of confetti scatter to the floor. A small note followed. "I don't…" She knelt down to look at each individual piece of scrap… numbers… names…results…her child's dismal future… ripped to shreds.

She started to cry as she read the short note, _'Justin is Michael's now_. _No one's the wiser."_

A few feet away Hyde smiled to himself. The day wasn't all bad...

* * *

One Hour Later

…but the day, for all its intents and purposes, _was_ over. The bride and groom were long gone, headed toward their long-deserved honeymoon, but the party in their honor raged on. People danced and drank and laughed. It was a good day, a good party.

And at the edge of the dance floor, a large round table, covered in white linen, accommodated the remaining Point Place gang—Donna, Eric, Fez, Fez's girlfriend, and Hyde, all exhausted.

"Do you think now that they're married, Kelso will still want to have me over for sleepovers?" Fez mused sadly.

"I'm pretty sure Sleepover Sundays are safe, Fez, at least for now," Eric smiled.

Fez beamed and relaxed. "Yay."

As everyone prattled on about nothing, beside them, Hyde hung his head and sucked in a deep breath, attempting to gather what energy he had left to get up and go home to his empty apartment. He just wanted to sleep now, and hopefully, once he crawled into bed, unconsciousness would come quickly to spare him from having to lie alone for too long.

Then a breeze.

And a light sigh.

"Where are Brooke and Michael?" Hyde heard come smoothly beside him. "Are they gone already?"

And in the strangest, most bizarre moment of his life, Hyde blinked slowly, his thoughts indistinct as something gentle and slight touched his right shoulder. He turned his head. Light-pink-painted fingernails became delicate fingers, and coming into focus, just beyond the smooth, porcelain skin of her wrist, was her angelic face, peering at him in question.

"Did I miss them leaving?"

The sound rushed into his ears with quiet ease.

Hyde stared incredulously, awed by her.

"Steven." Jackie frowned at him and glanced around the table at her friends who offered little more than the same stunned expression as Hyde's. "What? What's going on?"

Eric and Fez both smiled, a quiet laugh shaking their shoulders as they looked at each other.

Donna smiled, too. "You came back," she said quietly, stunned, her eyes still gleaming from her fading disbelief.

Jackie's lips slanted in confusion. "I said I would. Didn't Steven tell you guys? Did they leave already?" She turned to Hyde, somewhat miffed. He was still staring at her. "Steven."

His mouth hung open dumbly, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by the rest of the table.

The smiles around Jackie and Hyde grew satisfied as everyone watched Jackie's shoulders fall, unaware, as she took a longer, more thoughtful, look at Hyde and became distracted with him, as she typically did.

"Oh, baby. It was so awful," Jackie suddenly pouted, shifting her train of thought as she moved onto Hyde's lap. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm just glad I'm back here with you, and it's finally over."

Hyde placed his hands on the small of her back, inspecting.

"I missed you so much today," he heard her whisper.

She was real.

Relief wrapped around him like a warm blanket, and he closed his eyes, his grateful arms closing and pressing her into him as he exhaled a half-decade's long breath. It was immediate, the feeling, the comparable difference between how he'd felt only minutes before and how he felt now, the emptiness, the coldness, versus _this_. This warmth. This euphoria. There was no contest.

Hyde hugged her tightly. He didn't want to ever feel that other way again. Ever.

"I broke his heart when I gave him his ring back," Jackie muttered softly, shaking her head, nearing tears as she played with a single flap of his unknotted bowtie. "But I told him, he would only be second choice, which wasn't fair to him. I know that sounds terrible, but I learned from you, Steven, that sometimes, as fun as lying is, telling the truth is co much better, no matter how much it hurts. But God, his face when I told him that I was still so in love with you. Steven, it was terrible. I felt so guilty. I cried _so_ hard, it made Donna's cheap, fifty-cent mascara that I had to borrow get all clumpy. I just kept forcing myself to think about the fireworks I saw. Knowing you were seeing them, too. You were with me."

With that, Jackie exhaled and sat up, sorrow in her eyes still as she waited for Hyde to respond somehow, to soothe her, raising her eyebrows when he did little more than shift his eyes between hers.

"Steven," she prompted. "Say something."

Hyde frowned curiously. "You came back."

"Well, yeah. I told you…" Her face fell flat. Her lips tightened, scolding him. "Steven. Did you think I wasn't coming back?"

"I... I didn't know."

Jackie's bottom lip popped out as her face buttered with sympathy. "Oh…" She cupped his cheeks. "You're such a dumbass sometimes, Steven," she said and moved her lips to his, kissing them. "I told you this morning I would never leave you again, didn't I? Steven. I don't love him the way I love you. I never have." After watching Hyde for a moment, Jackie blew out a breath, growing sad at his still confused, still disbelieving, expression. "God, do you have any idea how much I love you, Steven?"

She stared at him then, her eyes pleading for a response.

"I think I do now," he said.

Jackie smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

Neither noticed as their friends silently gestured to each other to retreat and stood up, making a beeline for the dance floor in pairs.

Unaware that they were alone now, unaware of anything, Jackie smiled lovingly at Hyde, tracing his lips with her thumb. "Thank you, for letting me say goodbye to him. I really needed to do that." She spoke at a snail's pace. "And I need you to keep being wonderful, okay?"

Her smile straightened into a gentle pout, her eyes softened, slaves to the wistful emotion she was feeling.

"I need you to do everything you promised, Steven, because I need you," Jackie admitted ruefully. "I realized this morning that I can't live without you. For a split second, when I woke up in the middle of the night, I reached out and I thought you weren't there, and it crushed my heart. But you were," she smiled again. "You were right there next to me, sleeping."

Jackie pressed her palms to his warm cheeks. He stared back attentively.

"I'm so sorry, Steven." Her eyes sputtered around the room as she shook her head, the exasperation she felt for herself tangling her thoughts. "I was being so horrible to you this past couple of days, but you never wanted to leave my side." Short of breath, she pressed her lips to his, giving him a potent kiss, wooing his eyes to close. "I love you so much," she whispered and smiled deliriously against him, struck by a feeling of utter elation, of inexplicable euphoria. "I will always love you, Steven. So just be good. No more hurting each other. Okay?"

Opening his eyes, Hyde finally smiled, a gesture born from pure intoxication, from pure love, as his mind relaxed, beginning to accept that she was safely his. "Okay."

Why she was, he couldn't fathom, but he was not going question his dumb luck. He would simply take her home, thankful to those that had cared for her in his absence, and love her as hard as he could, his Tangerine, his chick.

Hyde grabbed her face and kissed her softly before pulling away to look at her. "Hey," he murmured, his fingers slipping a little deeper into her curls. "Thanks for not ditching me tonight."

"Um...you're welcome?" Jackie laughed and kissed his lips, perking up. "So, you want to dance with me?" Her eyes pleaded sweetly.

"Absolutely." Taking her with him, Hyde got up, unusually energized as he inhaled deeply and grabbed her hand. "Oh. I have something for you," he said as he pulled her through the dense crowd of guests.

"For me?"

Reaching the middle of the dance floor, Hyde turned around. "Yep."

Jackie gasped. "Are you going to ballroom dance with me?"

"Nope." Hyde tugged her toward himself with a smile, sending her crashing into his chest. And to the beat, he gently swayed her. "Better."

Growing intrigued, Jackie beamed. "Well, what is it?"

It wasn't how he had planned it, but then again, he hadn't really planned any of this, had he? It was dumb and cheap and beneath her, but it was all he had had in the middle of this dance floor, five long years after this decision had been made.

Hyde licked his lips. Against his heart, her hand rested, and he raised it slightly to his lips, kissing the tip of her now-bare ring finger before clutching his teeth around his own right pinkie.

"Are you going to draw on my finger again, Steven," Jackie teased.

"No… worse," he grinned and slipped on her finger a faded silver ring, crowned with a single blue eye. He'd never taken it off before, and now, he stared at the way it hugged her ring finger. The cheap eye ring was temporary, but the promise beneath its dull finish eternal. "Just till I can get to a jewelry store." He looked up with apprehensive eyes, waiting for her to sneer, or yell. "I know I'm a little late, but… I'm going to give you everything you want, Jackie. I want to. Just stick with me. That's all I'm asking."

 _If I could make a wish I think I'd pass  
Can't think of anything I need  
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound  
Nothing to eat no books to read_

Hugging him tightly, Jackie smiled blissfully against his neck. Who knew, who really knew, why she and this boy, this ornery stray, were connected so powerfully in this life. All Jackie knew for sure was that his heart was the only compass hers wanted to follow. It guided her down an unknown path. Sometimes the sky stormed and darkness descended, veiling her precious compass and making the journey seem hopeless, and then sometimes, when their path would re-converge with fate, the dark clouds would lift, the rain would cease, and she and her compass would shine brightly again, having been washed clean.

Hyde bit at her ear then, and she had to laugh. "I want to get you home," he murmured warmly. "I've been having sick… _sick_ …thoughts about this dress all day." Amused with himself, Hyde kissed her ear and the back corner of her jaw. "About taking it off."

"Mm. It's so cold out tonight," Jackie responded in a sultry rasp. "As I was walking in, it started snowing. I'll bet my… _our_ bed is nice and warm, though."

Hyde leaned back, frowning. "It's snowing?"

"Mm-hm."

A blithe, sleepy grin spread across his face as it suddenly, and slowly, began to close in on hers. Still, he continued to sway her body in the sparkling darkness, surrounded by a deep sea of jovial wedding-goers, all dancing, too, unaware of Jackie and Hyde, oblivious to the way they stared at each other, as most were.

Her eyes set on his mouth, Jackie blinked slowly, able to feel the heated tickle of his breath as his lips continued to descend on hers. Reflexively, her hand squeezed his upper arm. Their movement slowed to near stillness while she waited.

"You know what that means, right?" Hyde asked, his lips parting, hovering less than an inch above hers.

"What?" Jackie sighed drowsily, her eyes closing as she waited impatiently for his kiss.

"It finally stopped raining..."

 _Sometimes all I need is the air that I breathe  
And to love you…_

 _The End._


	33. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

 **At Last**

 **Music:**

R.E.M. – It's the end of the world (as we know it)

* * *

 **October 31, 1988**

"Give me your hand, my lovely. I will kiss it…soft…slow… _smooth_. That is nice, yes? I thought so…"

"Fez?"

"Yes, my tulip?"

"Who are you talking to?"

Fez blinked. It did nothing to help his blindness. This hallway was blacker than black could ever hope to be, the blue strip of landing lights below long gone. And she sounded so far away.

Curious, Fez smoothed his thumb over the cool fingers at his lips. "Cheryl?"

"Yes."

He chuckled nervously. "Well, you are very good at throwing your voice."

"I'm not throwing my voice, Fez."

A few feet away, Kelso narrowed his eyes. "Fez, who are you kissing, man?"

"What do you mean?" Fez frowned. "I am kissing Cheryl, of course. Right, my lovely?"

The neon blue lights returned and Fez's eyes widened at the hideous face that stared back at him. Cloudy cerulean eyes went unblinking.

"You're not Cheryl," he muttered shakily, still holding the creature's pale hand.

"Oh, my GOD!" Donna screamed hysterically, the gruff sound carried by a suddenly-panic-stricken Brooke. Both took off running down the hall. Behind them, Fez's date followed, screaming.

The unsightly white-haired woman in Fez's face began to scream, too, but her ghastly shriek was unnatural and excruciating to everyone's horrified ears.

Eric covered his ears in pain.

His eyes wide with fear, Kelso pointed. His screech was ear-splitting. "It's the ghost lady of the third-class corridor! Run! Fez! RUN!"

"Ahhh!" Fez shouted and took off running behind Eric and Kelso.

Arriving first, Brooke slammed into a wall at the far end of the hall and began to feel her way around the dark blue haze. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Donna was also abruptly halted by the wall beside her, followed, of course, by Cheryl.

At a realization, Brooke's face grew horrified. "There was supposed to be a stairway here, right? Did we go the wrong way?"

"Crap! Did we?" Her eyes wild with concern, Donna began to feel her way around, too. All three women screamed and jumped, suddenly stuck by moving bodies. "Ahhhh!"

"Ahhhh!" the boys screamed back.

"Well _MOVE!_ Why are you all stopped?!" Kelso demanded angrily.

"There's nowhere to go, Kelso!" Donna yelled back.

"This is bad." Eric's face soured with concern. His head shook, his lips curled down like a mackerel's scowl. "It's too dark, you guys. I can't see my own hand in front of my face."

"It's not in front of your face, stupid," Brooke snapped.

Eric raised his hand. "Oh."

"I think we went backwards," Fez announced.

"Well, where is that ghost lady?!" his date asked everyone, still fraught with alarm.

Huddled together, all six froze and frowned—having momentarily forgotten what they were running from—and slowly turned around as a group.

His face scowling with resentment, Fez shook his head. "Oh, _'Come to the haunted ship, Fez. We'll have a few drinks and dance. It'll be a hoot.'_ And now I am going to die!" His mouth grew rigid. "I hate all of you."

Kelso swallowed. "Okay, one of you is just going to have to sacrifice themselves for the good of the group, and as a member of said group, I would just like to say 'thank you' in advance."

"Uh-uh. No way. I'm not sacrificing anything, Kelso!" Donna glowered at him.

Brooke shook her head. "Well, I'm not doing it."

"Yeah. Me neither," Eric concurred vehemently. "You're the cop, Kelso."

"Which is exactly why I should be protected so that I can _then_ protect the rest of the community after I safely get out of here!"

Eric shoved Kelso forward toward the dark, shadowed outline of the 'ghost' who faced them in showdown maybe forty feet away. "Just distract her, man!"

"What? Why me?"

"Michael!" Brooke ordered.

"Fine! I'll do it! Big, stupid babies. But you're all buyin' my beer!" Kelso took a few stomping steps forward and then launched into a full speed run toward the woman, screaming, his arms flailing.

"Go! Go! Go!" Eric yelled at everyone as they all began to run.

"Ahhh!"

 _Save yourself. Serve yourself  
World serves its own needs. Listen to your heart bleed._

 _Dummy with the rapture and the revered and the right - right.  
You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light, feeling pretty psyched!_

All six slammed into the far wall with a loud thud and several groans. The sounds of the ballroom loomed up ahead as Eric shoved the tethered group through a doorway that led to the stairwell they remembered.

"Go! Go!"

"Before she curses us again!"

 _It's the end of the world as we know it._ _  
_ _It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine…_

Inside the Grand Ballroom, Jackie looked from left to right, then back again, and then did it again, her head resembling something of a sprinkler head in mid-summer.

"Where are they?" she demanded, stamping her foot. "It's been over an hour!"

"Will you relax," Hyde said for probably the hundredth time since arriving, sitting up in his seat as he stared at her posture intently. "They'll be here. Now sit down, before you get yourself all worked up and dewy again."

Turning, Jackie stamped her foot again, this time at him. "Yeah, but, it's been…"

"Jackie," Hyde said. "Breathe."

But she wasn't listening; instead, her eyes widened as she turned and saw her friends—looking unkempt and out of breath, but laughing as they walked briskly through a break in the crowded dance floor.

"There they are! Where have you guys been?" Jackie demanded as they approached. "I've been trapped here with Mr. Stick-in-the-Mud all night."

"We got here as fast as we could," Donna assured her.

"Man, we ran into that ghost lady again," Kelso exclaimed. "It was awesome!"

Jackie began to hop and clap, the red and white 'Sandy from Grease' cheerleading costume she wore flouncing with her—her ponytail swinging. "Let's go dance!"

"NO!" Hyde stood up and pointed at her. "Jackie! Damn it! You promised!"

"Yeah, well, I lied." Jackie stuck out her tongue.

Sidestepping Hyde's glower, the rest of the gang sat down around the table, grateful for the drinks that were already waiting for them. Chatter began about the last hour's adventures as Jackie stood by, incredulous, holding out her arms.

"Hello! Dance floor!"

Brooke shook her head apologetically at her friend. "I'm too tired and thirsty right now to dance, Jackie. Plus, I'm terrified of what Hyde will do to me."

"Me, too," Donna admitted as everyone else nodded. They were all terrified.

Jackie's eyes narrowed into tiny, angry slits. Her hands balled into fists. "Steven!"

"Nope," he responded from his chair, seated as smug and casual as could be, his hands relaxed and crossed over his stomach. "It's not happening, Jackie, so just sit down before you explode all over the nice people dancing."

"This is the worst night ever. I don't see why I couldn't just go through all the mazes," she complained and stepped toward Hyde, who held his arms open for her.

The chair reserved for Jackie was wedged perfectly up against Hyde's so that she could rest her legs over his lap, and that's exactly what she did, falling between his arms comfortably.

"It's not fair," she grumbled quietly.

Hyde rolled his eyes. "It's not _safe_ , Jackie. I'm done talking about it."

Jackie folded her arms, pouting as she laid her head on his shoulder. His arm curled around her. "This is supposed to be our place."

"And it is," Hyde acknowledged as everyone listened, drinking their beers. "We did stuff in here, too, I think." He grinned. "Lots of stuff. Right?" He made a face at his friends, not really remembering much from their drunken night here four years earlier. He was searching for help.

"Yeah, you guys were making out and…" Donna frowned. "Oh, you danced," she suddenly recalled. "He danced with you."

"Whatever," Jackie mumbled scornfully. Beside her, Hyde smiled, rather enjoying watching her pout, as long as it was from the safety of her chair.

"So, what happened here before, anyway?" Cheryl asked laughing, curious about why the _very_ pregnant brunette she'd just met was so insistent on going through the mazes with everyone else.

"Oh, this story is a doozy..." Donna took it upon herself to begin...

Cheryl sat for the next hour, extremely intrigued and keenly focused on the story set around the month of November, back in 1984, long before she'd met any of them.

"So, whatever happened to Colin and Jessica?" she ultimately asked.

Jackie frowned over at Hyde, who didn't seem to be paying attention. "Well," she said. "I talk to Colin sometimes. He lives in New York City. He's actually doing really well," she explained happily. "He has a fiancé. He's really happy. I think he's still a little angry with Steven, though. But I told him that he needs to just get over it, and whenever I say that he laughs at me and says that it's not about me." Jackie laughed. "Now if Steven would just stop calling him Lucky Charms…" she directed scornfully at Hyde.

"When you stop calling him to see how he is, I'll stop calling him Lucky Charms," Hyde grinned as he kept his eyes on his drinking game with Eric and Kelso, his drink being Coca-Cola tonight.

"I've called twice in four years, Steven." Jackie rolled her eyes as Hyde ignored her and continued his game. "Anyway," she continued, returning to the female-only conversation currently dominating the table. "As for Jessica…"

Brooke smiled, jumping in. "I ran into her about…Mm…" She had to think about it. "A year ago now, maybe."

Jackie nodded.

"She actually lives here, in Chicago. But guess who I saw her with?"

Cheryl frowned. "Who?"

"Her husband, who is the…" Brooke frowned as Donna shrugged, unable to assist. Jackie was no help either. "Whatever. He's one of the players with the Chicago Bears."

"He is a mortal enemy of the Packers," Eric threw in disdainfully.

"She's a traitor," Kelso added, shaking his head with disgust. "I mean, she _knows_ how I feel about the Bears!"

"Yeah, and she hates Hyde," Fez laughed.

Hyde kept playing his game of quarters.

"She doesn't hate him," Jackie clarified to Cheryl. "She's way too nice to hate _anyone_."

Brooke was laughing, too. "Oh, she hates him, Jackie."

"Yeah, she does," Donna concurred, laughing as well. "What did she call him? A cheating mother—"

"Well, she can just shut her trap then!" Jackie snapped angrily, rubbing her hand protectively over Hyde's forearm. "I never liked that bitch anyway."

Everyone started to laugh, the mood and discussion lightening to matters of gossip that seemed more local, like the costumes of the people around them and delicious rumors from work.

Eventually everyone got up to dance, to get drinks and socialize, but Jackie stayed at the table with Hyde, as she had promised. And he stayed sober, as _he_ had promised. They passed most of the time making fun of everyone and making out.

When the rest of the gang returned to the table, they wore curious faces for Jackie and Hyde, who sat one behind the other. Hyde's arms reached around Jackie as he rubbed circles across the sides of her over-stretched belly, his chin resting on her shoulder, hers on her chest.

Jackie scowled while she stared at his efforts. "The other way," she demanded and watched him comply, Hyde turning his strokes counter-clockwise with gentle deliberation. She closed her eyes with relief. "Oh," she sighed. "That's it, baby."

"What are you guys doing?" Brooke asked.

"Steven is massaging my belly," Jackie explained without looking up.

"Well, we can see that, but why?"

Jackie raised her eyes, irritated by the interruption. "Because it makes me feel better. Now go be skinny and _not_ pregnant and dance, bitch."

"Jackie!" Donna scolded and laughed at the same time. "You are the meanest pregnant lady ever. You do realize that, right?"

Jackie ignored her and returned her eyes to her large baby bump. Her eyes clenched shut. "Ah. The bottom, baby."

"Are you sure you're alright," Hyde asked her, his expression one of concern as he stretched his arms further to gain access the lower section of her belly. "Maybe we should go home."

"I'm fine," she responded quietly.

Brooke frowned. "Is she still having the Braxton Hicks?"

"I don't know," Hyde shrugged. "She says she's having cramps."

Her eyebrows shooting up in intrigue, Brooke stepped closer and knelt down beside them. "Is it like a tightening sensation? Are they stronger than usual?"

Jackie shook her head. "No," she lied, determined to stay out tonight. It had taken her forever to get Hyde to agree to come. So here she would stay.

"Are you timing them?" Brooke asked Hyde quietly.

Hyde frowned in abrupt concern, never having thought that he might need to.

"No, he's not," Jackie answered. "Will you please just stop worrying? I'm seriously _fine_."

When Brooke sighed and stood up, Jackie craned her neck back to get her face as close as possible to Hyde's. She batted her eyelashes. "Can we please dance now? Please? Baby? Please?" Hyde watched her with amusement. "Puddin,' come on! Pleeease? Dance with meeee."

Hyde hesitated, blinking several times as he pondered. "One dance, Jackie. _One_. I'm not kidding."

"Okay!"

"But if you start to get tired, or the cramps come back, you tell me right away. Got it?"

Jackie smiled with excitement. "I promise!"

As Hyde fought to wiggle out of the cramped chair maze he was trapped in, Jackie hastily jumped up, not minding her speed, forgetting her condition.

Everyone, dispersing from different points around the table, stopped at the sound. It was a whimper and then a gasp of air. They all turned around as Hyde froze. Jackie was still, but suddenly crying now, silent, shameful tears, her expression shocked, limbs petrified in place. One arm was bent at chest level, the other held straight out. Only her eyes moved frantically, wide with horror.

Hyde wore the same expression. "What's wrong?"

But Jackie was in her own bleak world, sobbing quietly in place, still unmoving.

"Jackie!" Hyde shouted over the music, trying to regain her attention. A million chairs, it seemed, stood between him and her quaking upper body. But it was only two. He tossed them out of the way to get to her.

"Stop," Jackie shouted at him, raising one arm slightly in front of herself. "Don't come any closer!"

He came anyway and grabbed her face. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you hurt?"

The tears worsened at his sudden presence, and Jackie was moving into hysterics between his hands, her expression still terrified.

"Baby, what the hell's wrong?!" Hyde shouted in frustration. "Tell me."

"I'm so em-em-embarrassed," Jackie sobbed quietly, almost incoherently, to only him. He had her eyes locked on his. His hands were blinders, and she could speak, as long as they were alone. "I'm-I-I…"

"Shh," he whispered in a calm, soothing voice. "Whatever it is, I'll fix it."

Jackie blinked and, fighting through his hold on her head, looked down, causing him to do the same.

Hyde twisted his foot and raised it from the yellow-tinted puddle of amniotic fluid that pooled below them. "Oh," he muttered, setting his foot back down. Letting relief calm him, relief that she was _technically_ alright, he looked up at her humiliated face. "Okay," he nodded, finally understanding her reaction. "I got this. Just stay here."

"Okay."

"Hyde, what's wrong with her?" Brooke asked from across the table.

"Nothing." His feet shifting aimlessly in his indecision, Hyde finally sighed and reached around Jackie's back to grab the two pitchers of beer from the table, taking them squarely into both hands as the rest of the gang watched in confusion. Without an explanation, he rotated his wrists and let the amber liquid spill everywhere around him and Jackie.

He grinned at Jackie.

Still frozen, Jackie watched the unsullied beer trickle and run, blending in with their baby's water. She blinked, feeling the curious eyes begin to turn on her. Fresh humiliation began to set in.

"Waitress, we spilled our beer," Hyde called out flatly to the girl walking by. She stopped, visibly irritated at the liquid mess beneath his feet—beneath the overturned pitchers locked securely in his fists—and pivoted in the other direction to get a mop.

As if time had _not_ stopped, the music continued vivaciously. The crowd continued to murmur and sway, paying little attention to the party foul at table number nine. In the middle of it all, Jackie stood, distraught and exhausted. Her already-overloaded body began to sink, yielding to her embarrassment just as Hyde scooped her up, drawing her face up into his neck to hide.

Tears stinging her nose, she snuggled in and closed her eyes. "I love you, Steven." A fierce hold on his neck, she pretended they were home. In her mind, the music was simply the radio on a lazy Sunday afternoon; the curious voices she heard were the TV while they lay in bed, veiled in play beneath the covers. And Hyde, soft but strong, held her, maybe like the nights he carried her to bed when she would fall asleep on the couch.

"We're almost out," she heard him say a while later.

"My purse," Jackie murmured.

"Brooke's got it," Hyde assured her as he closed in on the main exit. "Are you having contractions?" he breathed out precariously. He sounded more worried, more shaken, than she ever thought possible for him. "Are you in pain?"

Jackie wiped her wet cheek on his shirt. "No. Are we going home now?"

"You're going to the hospital."

"In Milwaukee," Jackie said. "Right?"

"No. Here in Chicago," Hyde responded curtly. "We're not risking driving all the way back to Milwaukee."

"No!" Jackie raised her head. "Doctor Nick might not make it down in time."

Hyde sighed. "Then you'll have a different doctor, Jackie."

"Steven," Jackie wiggled angrily. "Put me down."

Reluctantly, carefully, Hyde set her down in the middle of the hallway and held out his arms as the others stopped, too. He looked at Brooke. "Do you think we have time to drive back to Milwaukee?"

Brooke sighed at Jackie. "Are you having contractions?"

"I told you I feel—" Jackie winced. Another sharp, aching pain tightened against the inside walls of her distended abdomen, and then quickly gravitated toward the center. Crap. They were getting worse. She really hoped they didn't see that. "Oh, fine. Let's just go."

Hyde scowled, his eyes narrowing as he stepped closer to Jackie. His hands cradled her face gently but with enough strength to render her head immobile. "Jackie," he growled quietly, his eyes stern. "Are you having contractions or not?"

Jackie's face was unsure between his hands. "Not?"

"Jackie," Donna pressed from behind Hyde. Beside her, Brooke glanced at her watch. "We're all leaving regardless. So, stop lying."

Jackie gulped. Hyde's angry eyes still had hers locked. His palms burned against her cheeks. "I might be?" she amended nervously.

Dropping his hands, Hyde huffed. "We're going to straight to the hospital," he told her.

"How often are they coming?" Brooke asked her.

Jackie glanced between Brooke and Hyde, and then made a sweeping gaze behind them at the faces of her friends, her own temper suddenly flaring. "I don't know, okay. Everyone, just stop staring at me like I'm some dancing cow."

"Come on. We're going," Hyde said, seizing her hand, and then stopped. "Can you walk?"

Her obstinate expression unchanging, Jackie glanced around herself and then nodded. They all continued at Jackie's slow, ambling pace down the long hallway toward the boat's main atrium, the place where Jackie and Hyde had first begun their flirtation four years before, where Jackie now stopped, refusing to take one more step.

"I need to clean up."

"Clean up at the hospital," Hyde said. "Come on."

"I want to clean up _now_. I'm not going in public covered in Steven Junior's water like this."

Hyde sighed, automatically accepting of this particular defeat, and left her side to sit down beside his friends. "Go ahead then," he prompted calmly, his jaw tense. "Brooke, go with her."

As haughtily as her pregnant body would allow, Jackie disappeared into the restroom, escorted by Brooke and Donna.

Eric slapped his palm on Hyde's shoulder once the girls were lost from view. "You nervous, man?"

"What do you think?" Hyde scoffed as he stared at the women's restroom door. "Jackie complains for hours when her curlers are in too tight. _This_ is going to be my personal hell."

Kelso nodded, his mind only half inside the conversation as he glanced around the decorated tavern. "Yeah, I was nervous, too. Just don't look directly at it. I couldn't do it with her for months after…" He shuddered.

Hyde frowned. "No, you idiot. I'm talking about having to watch her in pain." Shaking his head, Hyde began to glance around. He could hear his friends' garbled bickering, but he could not bring himself to listen. Jackie was on his mind. She seemed ready and consistently acted as if the whole thing was going to be a walk in the park, her biggest concern tonight having something to do with the over-sized cheer sweater that she couldn't get to fit right.

But this was a baby, a real, live baby beneath that sweater, the baby he had given to her on an unusually-windy night in February, the very baby she had pleaded with him breathlessly for, her hips bucking softly against him. He spent the next eight and a half months rubbing her stomach and watching it grow. He kissed it every night before bed and first thing every morning. And thus far, what lived inside seemed to be made of only the soft flesh of her abdomen. It rippled in the bathtub, their baby, and in bed, in the darkness. Its shrouded presence caused Jackie to complain of heartburn and being fat, on occasion. But that was about it. Other than that, it had been no trouble at all.

But now, a double hit. This mystery baby and hours of watching Jackie in pain. He had no idea if he was up for either. No idea if he could be their hero, as Jackie continually insisted he was. Yes. _She,_ so far, was easy enough to please. His presence and love were all she ever seemed to need. But he knew everything would soon change once this baby was born, as would she.

"Hyde!"

The panicked call made Hyde look up with round, full eyes. He stood up. "What's wrong?"

"Just come in here!"

Hyde hurried into the restroom behind Donna. "What's the matter?"

"Something's wrong. She won't let either of us near her," Brooke complained fretfully, worry painting her face green as she pointed. "She's asking for you."

Hyde banged on the stall door. "Jackie?"

"Steven," he heard Jackie cry. She was in pain.

Hyde pushed at the door, but it was locked. "Baby, unlock the door." All he heard was crying, and he stormed into the next stall to stand on the toilet seat and peered into Jackie's stall. She was leaning against the side wall, grabbing her pregnant belly, doubled over in pain. Quickly, Hyde pulled himself over the flimsy wall and dropped down inside with her.

"I'm here," he whispered, more scared then he could ever remember feeling as he grabbed her face.

Tears were in her eyes. "It hurts so much, Steven. I think it's real this time," she whimpered, almost startled. "The contractions are getting worse."

Hyde glanced at his watch. The time revealed nothing. "Brooke? How far apart are they, do you think? I haven't been checking... Fuck!"

Meaning to comfort him, Jackie grabbed his waist and tried to hug him, but it was nearly impossible with seven pounds of baby between them. She squeezed the flesh at his sides, instead, as Brooke spoke from the other side of the door. "Don't worry, I've been keeping track. I think they're about seven minutes apart."

Hyde made a face. "Is that bad?"

"No, it's not bad. She just needs to get to a hospital. It's not going to come out in the bathroom, but we should try to hurry."

"Is it still going? The contraction?" Hyde asked Jackie. She shook her head. "Let's go then."

"No." Her voice was troubled.

"Why not? What's the matter?"

"I don't want to say," Jackie frowned. "I'm too embarrassed."

Hyde waited, his face spreading with dissatisfaction.

Eventually, Jackie sighed. "Fine. Will you help me?" She looked down. "Clean up. I can't bend over. I keep getting contractions. I feel like a disgusting, wet _heifer_ , Steven. God, it's a good thing I never got on the dance floor. I really would have been a big, dancing cow!" Her eyes were soaked with tears, her expression locked in perpetual humiliation. "I feel gross, and I don't want anyone to see me like this. I don't want the people at the hospital to think I…I don't want them to…" Jackie drew in a stifled, yet shaky, breath.

Hyde relaxed his shoulders. "I know. Okay." He placed his palms flat on the sides of her stomach and began to rub, a gesture he was becoming used to. "What do you need me to do?"

With some reluctance, Jackie handed him the paper towels she had soaked with warm sink water and felt a chill run through her chest. It was silly, really, of course he loved her unconditionally. But as he knelt down and removed the layers of wet clothing beneath her skirt, she wondered how he _could_ love her after this. How he could find her attractive. She played with his curls for a moment and then dropped her hand. "You think I'm gross now, don't you?" Her lips curled down into a pout.

Hyde didn't look up from what he was doing, wiping down the insides of her thighs. "No."

"You're never going to want to have sex with me again," she accused petulantly.

"Jackie." Hyde heaved an annoyed sigh. "Cut it out. Do you feel clean?"

"Yes," she whispered.

Satisfied, Hyde stood up, aware of the pout on her face. "Of course, I'll want to have sex with you," he whispered, laying his hands on her cheeks again and kissing her gently. "I've always _, always_ wanted to have sex with you. And I mean always."

"Yeah, but that's when I wasn't dumping baby water all over dance floors." Jackie sniffled, tears threatening to return.

Hyde grinned amorously and moved his mouth to kiss a path along her jaw toward her ear. "Yeah, but that baby water on the dance floor right now is from _our_ baby." He kissed her ear. "And that makes _you_ the sexiest chick in the whole world." Leaning back, he saw the disbelieving expression on her face. "Hey. It takes guts to dump your baby water all over a dance floor. I thought it was pretty bad ass."

Jackie rolled her eyes and fought back a smile.

"In fact, it was pretty hot."

"Oh, shut up, Steven." Jackie knit her eyebrows at him, laughing. His gaze was sweet, adoring, and it now lay lovingly on her stomach. He saw nothing else. And she felt beautiful.

Another contraction hit, and Jackie winced in pain, moaning now at the intensity of it. "Oh, God. Steven."

"That was six minutes," Brooke announced.

"Crap. We've gotta go."

The drive to the hospital was surprisingly uneventful, especially considering that it was Kelso who insisted on driving while Hyde held Jackie through her pain in the middle seat of the van. As her contractions grew in intensity, his driving only became safer, more controlled. His nerves, though, were going haywire.

"What is this guy's problem," Kelso screeched at the driver behind him.

"Michael, calm down," Brooke said.

"Get off my ass!" he yelled out the window.

"Michael, I swear to Go…ahhhhhhd!" Jackie yelled. "Steven!"

"We're almost there," he soothed before turning angrily to his friend. "Kelso! Stop freaking out and just get us there, man!"

"I am! God! It's these morons behind me," he explained, looking in his rear-view mirror at the long line of accusing headlights behind him. "Honking at me is not going to make me go any faster!" he yelled, the sounds of honking and angry yells making everybody more and more frazzled, especially him.

Within minutes, they reached the emergency room of Chicago Memorial Hospital—Eric, Donna, Fez, and his date following closely behind in another car. Inside the waiting room, the serene hospital colors and quiet atmosphere put everyone quickly at ease. The staff immediately brought out a wheelchair for Jackie and escorted her and Hyde to the admitting desk, after a few temporary farewells to their friends, who would eventually sit in the maternity waiting room and sleep, waiting with controlled impatience throughout the long night.

The nurse rolled Jackie away. Though Jackie's eyes remained on Hyde longingly, beseeching him to follow.

"I'll be right there. I promise," Hyde said gently and turned with a scowl to the nurse behind the desk. "Hurry it up, huh."

The admission nurse gathered some paperwork and an empty chart, clicking her pen several times to work. Hyde grew impatient.

"The patient's name," the woman finally said.

Hyde flexed his jaw. "Jackie," he sighed curtly. "Hyde."

"And your relationship to her."

"I'm her husband, Steven Hyde." His voice was tense. He could imagine how frazzled and upset Jackie was becoming without him. As the seconds slowly ticked past, as this apathetic nurse took her sweet damn time, his nerves rattled and hummed, threatening to explode him into a rage. But it was for the staff on the maternity ward, for the nurse who wheeled his cantankerous wife away that he truly feared for.

"Her date of birth," the woman in blue scrubs continued, without giving him so much as a glance.

Hyde blew out a breath. "March twenty-first, nineteen sixty…"

* * *

Three floors up, and nearly twenty minutes later, Jackie opened her eyes—her chin tucked tightly against her chest—and smoothed two shaking hands over the gentle curve above her overstretched bellybutton. Dressed in a hospital-issued Johnny—dyed a hideous shade of seafoam green—she sat back against her pillow and closed her eyes. For a lifelong dream, this was awfully nightmarish. The pain was increasing in intensity with each contraction and only served to scare her further. She considered taking the medication nurse hostage several times, especially if that slow bitch didn't make this snappy.

Jackie flinched. Her body stiffened as the muscles in her abdomen clenched tight. Where the hell was her husband?! This was supposed to be a joyous freaking occasion!

"Hey."

Jackie's eyelids flew open. "Oh, thank God!" With what of her wits she had left, Jackie clutched his hand and yanked him nearly on top of her. "I'm only dilated one centimeter. Where were you?"

The pain in his face nearly matching hers, Hyde bent over Jackie, tentatively placing his palm to her forehead to sweep her hair away. "Getting you checked in. Apparently, you can't just walk in, push the kid out, and be on your way." He kissed her forehead.

"I can't do this."

"You said that about shopping for fat clothes."

"And I couldn't do it, Steven!" Jackie yelled as her most recent contraction broke off and disappeared. "Brooke had to buy my maternity clothes for me, remember?" Miserably, she dropped her head back on the pillow and wrapped her fingers around his. "All that searching for those pretty stockings with the little blue and pink unicorns, and I end up in sea-foam green," she complained.

Hyde frowned, pulling up her Johnny-gown slightly to study the polyester stockings that covered her feet and calves and knees, stopping at mid-thigh. He grinned. "I like 'em."

"You would," Jackie snarled and then sighed at his lack of a rebuttal. His face remained sweet. "I'm sorry, baby. This just hurts."

A few minutes passed and Hyde moved away from Jackie, walking around the room as he touched and eyed everything it had to offer. "There's a cot here for me," he noticed in the corner and chuckled. "We can't get away from them, can we?"

Jackie smiled. "It's our—" Hissing, she paused as another contraction clenched at her abdomen. The pain was becoming what she once assumed would be unbearable. And even though, each time, she thought she could not tolerable a greater pain, each time she did. Her legs pushed against the mattress as her body squirmed. "God, I can't take it anymore! Steven!" she demanded as Hyde rushed to her bedside. She grabbed his shirt. "You get that bitch back in here and tell her I am not waiting anymore. I want that shot!"

He nodded. "Okay."

Several minutes later, a female anesthesiologist smiled and began, pressing a firm but gentle palm on Jackie's naked back. Jackie, straddling Hyde on the edge of the bed, buried her face into his neck.

"Alright, Mrs. Hyde, just relax and hold on to your husband. You're going to feel a mild prick in the middle of your spine and then some slight pressure. Please do not move until I say, alright?"

"Is it going to hurt?"

"It shouldn't be more than just pressure."

Closing her eyes, Jackie braced herself against Hyde, her fingers clutching the back of his black "Danny Zuko from Grease" t-shirt. "Okay." Her voice was muffled, her lips smashed against his shoulder. "Go ahead."

Hyde cringed as the anesthesiologist gave him the final gesture, then pierced his wife's spine.

Queasily, Hyde kissed Jackie's temple. "You alright?"

"I guess."

"Okay." The anesthesiologist straightened up. "All done."

Jackie raised her head, pleasantly surprised. "Well, that's it?"

"That's it," the woman smiled.

Jackie frowned at her. "It's not working. I'm getting another contraction right now," she winced, fighting to keep her scowl steady. "Do it again."

"Jackie, give it a minute," Hyde said.

"She should lie down now and try to get some sleep," the lady in the lab coat advised, glancing at the clock. It read that it was past two in the morning. "You should, too. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow, for you both. And every day after. I assure you."

Hyde frowned and blinked a few times. "Sleep?" He received a head-tilting gesture from the woman that stopped him cold. It suddenly struck him that Jackie was quiet—a rarity—and felt a little heavier against his body. The woman walked out, leaving them alone.

"Hey," Hyde nudged his wife. "Jackie."

"Hm?"

A smile lifting one side of his mouth, Hyde rolled Jackie's head back and studied her eyes. "You're high, aren't you, baby?"

Jackie smiled deliriously. "I am. Oh, my God, Steven, this stuff is great," she giggled. "We should take a stash home." Her eyes danced like a pendulum back and forth as she measured the sensation washing over her body. "I can't even feel my stomach. Is it still there?"

Hyde chuckled. "Lie down, loadie."

He helped her down and started to climb off the bed. "No," Jackie cried out, clutching at the back hem of his shirt. "Where are you going?"

"To my cot."

"No." Jackie shook her head. "No cots. Lay with me." Reeling him in by his t-shirt, she continued her plea. "There's room. We used to do it all the time, remember? Sleep on tiny little beds together." She scooted over to allow him room and yanked him down as best she could.

"Yeah, but we didn't have almost two feet of baby between us," Hyde argued, settling in beside her.

"I had _you_ ," Jackie smiled, snuggling in gleefully against him. "You were a big baby." The light suddenly went out, and they heard the door shut. The room was silent while Hyde pulled the blankets up over them and tucked them behind Jackie. "Steven." Jackie whispered. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure," he whispered back.

"I'm scared."

Hyde laid his head back on the pillow, gently kissing her lips after a moment. "Me, too."

"You are?"

Hyde nodded.

"I don't think I know how to be a good mom," Jackie pouted, milking for another sympathetic kiss. "And we don't have the money for a nanny."

On cue, Hyde kissed her again. "We don't need a nanny."

"Good, because we can't afford one."

"Well, good 'cause don't need one." Absentmindedly, Hyde massaged her giant, numb belly, which was wedged securely between them. "You'll be a good mom, Jackie. We'll be fine."

"But what if it turns out like us. I can't handle another you. Or another me. God," Jackie groaned, envisioning the possibilities. "I would kill it."

Laughing to himself, Hyde cleared his throat to respond. "I suppose that couldn't be _all_ bad if it turned out like us. We turned out alright."

"Did we?"

Hyde frowned, thinking it over. "Well…We had parents that a one-legged, blind prostitute wouldn't trade places with, and we're still alright. I mean, we're sort of normal. We're not serial killers or anything. That's gotta count for something, right?"

"God, is that our only goal, Steven? That he's not a serial killer when he grows up."

"It's a good goal, Jackie," Hyde insisted. "Hey. You know how I know you can take care of a kid?"

"How?"

"You take pretty good care of me."

"You think I take good care of you?"

Hyde nodded. "Look at me. I've got a clean shirt on. My socks match. And I haven't once tried to tamper with that smoke detector up there."

"Oh, Steven." After a moment, Jackie sighed and then yawned, feeling the warm pull of sleep. "Steven?" She said it so quietly that he nearly missed it.

"Yes, my love?"

"I'm glad you're Steven Junior's daddy," she told him softly and in complete sincerity, the darkness turning her voice sweet as sugar. "You're the only one I ever wanted for him."

Hyde smiled gently. "What happened to the other names you picked out?"

"I changed my mind. I want 'Steven'."

"Jackie, don't you think you screaming 'Steven' over and over for _one_ person is more than enough? I thought our goal was to not raise a serial killer?"

"No," Jackie stubbornly insisted, clutching onto his side to enforce her point. "His name is Steven. It's my favorite name in the whole world."

After thinking it over, Hyde blew out a breath. "I'll agree, on one condition."

"What?"

"You go to sleep. Right now. No arguing. At least while the pain's gone."

Jackie blinked, her lips forming a preemptive pout. "Will you stay right here?"

"Where else would I go?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

Satisfied, Jackie smiled and wiggled—as much as her swollen body would allow anyway—down deeper beneath her crisp hospital sheets, sighing once she was peacefully inside the warm protection of Steven Hyde. She could feel his breath saturate her hair, his lips puckering against her temple. The air around her was tinted black with night, but the broad expanse of his chest made it even darker against her eyes. In no time, Jackie drifted, happy and content. This life was turning out to be more wonderful than any she could have ever dreamed up or fantasized, for this one was real and never seemed to end.

Eight hours later—two of them being the most grueling of her life—Jackie sighed and closed her eyes again, exhausted and accomplished, her skin, for the first time in her life, glazed with the sweat of real effort, her body wilted with fatigue. Her eyes, too. But she could hear her son let out a brief, demanding cry, and then, just as quickly, he was quiet, a gentle, familiar hush breaking off the precious new sound.

"Hey, hey, shh," was all she heard, said so softly, somewhere in the room, and she smiled to herself.

Inside the bright, artificial light of maternity room 315, in the middle of Chicago, Illinois, and only a few feet from his wife, Hyde cradled a small head in his hand.

His expression was curious as he tilted his head, looked into fresh, sky-blue eyes, and smiled.

Delivered. At last.


End file.
